TRACY-Ann Beckford, English Language co-ordinator at McGrath High School in St Catherine, and Errol Johnson, principal of St Mary High School, were adjudged the Lasco/Ministry of Education Teacher of the Year and Principal of the Year for 2011-2012 at a ceremony in Kingston yesterday.

The two were chosen from a shortlist of 12 educators, six in each category and after three tiers of judging from a record 125 nominees for the coveted awards.

First prizes for both awards included $100,000 each and a trophy courtesy of Lasco, along with a trip to the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASDC) Conference in the United States.

Beckford, who was inspired to enter the teaching profession because of the attention given to her by her grade three teacher in primary school, thanked her principal, Dr Cynthia Anderson, who she said took a chance by employing her as a 19-year-old graduate straight out of teachers’ college.

“She took the gamble and I hope today she has won,” a beaming Beckford told her principal at the ceremony at the Wyndham Kingston Hotel.

Beckford also commended Lasco for recognising educators each year through the awards. She borrowed from the company’s slogan that ‘Lasco not only makes living affordable but Lasco is making teaching enviable’.

Also knowledgeable in sign language, Beckford is currently pursuing a master’s degree at the University of the West Indies, co-ordinates the debating and quiz teams, and teaches Sunday School at her church.

Johnson, in his reply, thanked the staff and students of St Mary High for his success. He likened the job of teacher to that of a batsman on a cricket team. “You play as a team, but when you go to bat, you bat alone. The job of a teacher can get lonely at times”, he said.

Johnson is the holder of a master’s degree in education and is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Jamaica Combined Cadet Force, guiding St Mary High to 14 consecutive years as champion cadet unit. He is a lay magistrate and had held several posts in school sports administration.

A teacher from the mid-1970s, and principal at St Mary High since 1990, Johnson is a Hindu and is actively involved in the Jamaica Inter-Faith Movement which promotes understanding and tolerance among different religions and denominations.

First and second runners-up for the Teacher of the Year were Sharon Blake of Lowe River Primary and Junior High in Trelawny and Audrey Abrahams of Turnberry Primary in St Ann respectively; while second and third place for the Principal of the Year were Fay Sterling of Higgins Land Primary and Junior High in St Ann and Paul Grant of Bellfield Primary in Manchester.

Other prizes included weekends from Sandals Resorts and other hotels, phones from telecommunications companies, cash awards and educational equipment.

Lasco founder and executive chairman Lascelles Chin, in his remarks, commended Prime Minister Andrew Holness for advocating a new ethos of responsibility in all Jamaicans for Jamaica.

“It’s high time that each parent and teacher work together to take responsibility for the literacy and numeracy skills of our children. It is now a matter of urgency and priority that our parents give of their best to our children every time, all the time” he said.

The Teacher of the Year programme was started in 1998 while the Principal of the Year award began in 2006.