Orson Beckford is one of those people who has managed to seize the best of both worlds – the intellectual stimulation of a top administrative job with an accounting function, as well as the physical and creative stimulation of a coaching role in cricket, one of the world’s most popular games.

The first of eight children born to parents Edward and Merinda Beckford in Mackfield, Westmoreland on August 19, 1953, Beckford attended Mount Ward All-Age School in Hanover before transferring to Mount Peto All-Age, also in the parish, due to registration glitches. He later went to Fairview Baptist Bible College High School.

On completing his secondary education, Beckford returned to Mount Peto to serve as a pre-trained teacher. He subsequently left to pursue a career in accounting, but on finding the course of study prohibitive, returned to the classroom – this time at Mount Ward Primary. On leaving Mount Ward, he served St James for five years as an acting public health inspector and the national reserves of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) for three years.

In 1979, he enrolled at the Mico Teachers’ College, where he gained his professional teaching qualifications specialising in Primary Education. On graduating, he returned to Mount Ward for four years before going to Mount Peto in 1986, where he spent 10 years. During this time, he taught and coached the school’s cricket team to several victories, including what was then the Caribbean Cricket Competition for primary schools in 1994.

While at Mount Peto in the 1980s, he furthered his education through the Western Carolina University, where he read for a Bachelor of Science degree in classroom management and supervision. In 2003, he completed a Master of Arts degree in Education majoring in teaching and learning at the Nova Southeastern University. He is currently principal of Mount Ward Primary, a post he has held since 1996.

An active ‘Hanoverian’, Beckford has deep roots in the sporting fraternity. He has served as the Jamaica Teachers’ Association’s (JTA’s) president of the Knockalva District Association, a General Council representative, assistant sports coordinator and eventually sports coordinator for Hanover.

He still coaches cricket at Mount Ward, although he gave up the sports coordinator position in 1993 when the workload became untenable. Ideally, he would like to see more resources in the education system, especially in the area of diagnostic testing.

“Many times the ordinary classroom teacher does not have the expertise to detect that something is wrong with the learning processes of the student. More emphasis needs to be placed on mental well-being, especially at the primary level…,” he said. “One of the things I’d really like to see is a diagnostic centre that is more accessible to the west.”

Beckford is married to Sharette Beckford. The couple has three children.