CARMEL,Westmoreland

At seven, Beverly Cain had already made up her mind to become a teacher. By 12, she was even more convinced that teaching was her calling, and becoming a school principal the ultimate achievement.

It was not surprising then, that at the age of 18, she landed her first teaching job at the Carmel All-Age School in Westmoreland.

Less than nine years later, her dreams of becoming a school principal became a reality, when she was appointed principal of the institution.

She was only 26 at the time and probably one of the youngest school principals in the island.

Although her appointment earned her the name ‘baby principal’, Cain had already demonstrated her competence as an educator.

The daughter of a primary school teacher, Cain’s love for the profession started to blossom, while she was in grade one at the Beersheba All-Age School in Westmoreland.

“While I was in that class, I was really impressed with my teacher and so I decided from that early age that I wanted to become one,” she said.

Her principal, Louise Mayler, also influenced her decision to enter the teaching profession.

“She was a disciplinarian and although many children were afraid of her, I wasn’t because she was very kind and loving. As a result of this, I decided that I would not only want to become a teacher, but a principal like Mrs Mayler,” she explained.

Cain graduated from the Beersheba All-Age School at the age of 16, but it was two years later before she landed a job as a pre-trained teacher at Carmel.

Less than a year after, she enrolled at the Bethlehem Teachers’ College.

On graduating from Bethlehem, she did her one-year internship at Coke View Primary School in Westmoreland, where she stayed for two years.

In 1975, Cain returned to Carmel All-Age as a classroom teacher. Within two years, she had established herself as a dedicated and a hardworking teacher, resulting in a great demand for her services.

“Several other persons wanted me to come and teach at their schools – even the persons who assessed me during my internship, but I remained at Carmel,” Cain said.

In 1977, she was appointed principal of Carmel All-Age, where she has remained.

In addition to carrying out her administrative duties as principal, Beverly teaches grade five students.

She said that unlike most schools, indiscipline is not a problem at the institution, which has 105 students enrolled and five teachers.

“Indiscipline is not a problem here. Discipline is what we stress,” she told the OBSERVER WEST.

Noting that all the teachers at the institution are Christians, Cain said the teacher/parent relations were excellent.

Over the years, the institution has received strong support from the New York-based Carmel All-Age Old Students’ Association and the Expanded Education Horizon project.

The school boasts several pieces of musical equipment, including a drum set and guitar, a television, a state of the art copier and several other pieces of equipment geared to enhance learning.

Reflecting on her more than 35 years in the field of education, Beverly said she had no intention of retiring soon.

“I have no regrets about entering the profession, and I plan to teach for a very long time,” she said.