MANDEVILLE, Manchester — Two former presidents of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association — Dundee Hewitt who served in 1977 and 1987-1988, and Juno Gayle, now deceased, who was at the helm from 1996-1997 — were remembered and honoured by colleagues for leaving an impressive legacy on the organisation. Founded in Manchester 54 years ago, the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) has become known for its vocal leaders who champion the rights of educators across the island.

According to present JTA Secretary General, Bryon Farquharson, Hewitt started at a time when the tenure was calculated as a calendar year.

Following their roles as president, Hewitt and Gayle held positions as regional officers for the Jamaica Teachers’ Association South/Central office in Mandeville in 1989-2000 and 2000-2015, respectively.

For their efforts and in keeping with the association’s policy direction of naming buildings in honour of “stalwarts and trailblazers”, at an official ceremony in April, the anniversary month of the JTA, the regional office building was named in their honour.

A message read on behalf of minister of education, youth and information and past president of the teachers’ lobby group, Ruel Reid said that the common virtue among the two men was a love for the work in which they were engaged, though having a distinctive style of leadership.

“Jamaica’s education sector has been better for having had them in its service. Certainly, the JTA has good cause to sing their praise… for the way they have articulated and represented the union,” the minister said.

Current president of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, Georgia Waugh-Richards, said that she has benefited from the influence of the honorees.

“I have sat at the feet of these two men and today much of what I am is as a result of their impact on my life. When we think about struggles, when we think about teacher trade unionism, when we think about protection of teachers’ rights, when we think about the preservation of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association, when we think about vanguards of the education system we cannot help but think about Dundee Hewitt and Juno Gayle,” she said.

Waugh-Richards added: “From time to time colleagues, as I travel this path, the road gets difficult and the burdens get heavy to bear. My office is next to the conference room at the Jamaica Teachers’ Association and there are days as I sit there and I contemplate, sometimes I hope no one is watching, I take a walk from that office into the conference room and I would stare for a long time at the picture on the wall of Dundee Hewitt and that of Juno Gayle… Every time I look at these photographs I am empowered to go on… .”

She said the leadership of others before also confirms that the position that she holds is not for “wimps” or about “self-aggrandisement”.

Guest speaker at the function, Professor Errol Miller said he was there at the inception of the JTA, has been a colleague of both men in the fight and struggle, and was grateful to be included in the grand occasion of the naming ceremony.

“In naming this regional office in the names of Dundee Hewitt and Juno Gayle, the JTA is connecting with its history, the roots of its history, the Jamaica Union of Teachers (JUT),” he said, adding that the JUT was formed through a partnership between school and church at a time when unions were not legitimate.

A time, he said, when teachers were coming together two years after free elementary education was established and the colonial government was taking over the reins of policy and direction.

Miller said that the work of both men is testament they were people of conscience, who were willing to stand up and build for a common good, despite a historical past in Jamaica of exploitation and lack of consensus.

Hewitt, in his response, said he would treasure the accolade and said that he knows his late colleague, with whom he shared a father and son relationship, would feel the same.

The Dundee Hewitt and Juno Gayle Building is also home to the JTA Co-operative Credit Union in the South/Central region.