ALBERT TOWN, Trelawny — The education sector accounted for the lion’s share of the awardees in the Parish Awards category during the National Heroes’ Day Awards ceremony held by the Trelawny Municipal Corporation and Jamaica Cultural Development Commission, in Albert Town Square in the parish last week.

Retired teacher Glenis Taylor; Ivanhoe St George Gordon, Mona Dulce Ennis and Delmera Adrienne Beckford, were the educators who copped the prestigious National Heroes’ Day Parish Awards.

The Parish Awards category was rounded off by Harris Daley, Soyini Miller, Bobsia Smith, Ernest Washington Brown, Marviet Isobel Webb and George Nathaniel Bromfield for their contribution to the parish in various other fields.

According to the citation, Ennis a native of Hanover, who has been the principal of the Falmouth Infant School since September 2007, has served in the classroom in Trelawny for some 31 years.

During that time, the educator whose childhood dream was to become a teacher, has chalked up a long list of awards including, Carlong Publisher Limited- Outstanding Contribution to Education 2012; JTA 50th Anniversary– Trelawny Parish Award 2014; Prime Minister Medal of Appreciation 2014; WBC (Ben) Hawthorne Award in August 2017 for outstanding service to education and the Jamaica Teachers’ Association; Outstanding and Long Service Award from Falmouth All- Age in 2008 and the Golden Torch Award in July 2019.

“This one is the icing on the cake,” the veteran educator told the Jamaica Observer West, shortly after receiving his award.

As it relates to Beckford, she was awarded for 44 years of distinguished service to the teaching profession, as well as providing stellar contribution to sports in the parish.

Her involvement in parish development includes holding positions such as secretary of the Trelawny Football Association, executive member/representative for track and field and netball, Elleston Wakeland Sport Council; player/coach of parish netball team, coordinator of Trelawny Festival Queen Competition and coach/manager of the Cedric Titus High’s Under-14 football team.

Gordon, who is principal of Granville All-Age School, was lionised as an educator extraordinaire “who has made immense contributions to the education sector and community in the parish of Trelawny”.

Gordon has served as president of the Parish Association of Teacher (JTA) for six years and is said to have been instrumental in getting 21 Puerto Rican houses to Vanzie Lands for teachers and was also partly responsible in getting the then JTA Housing Coop to purchase lands at Merrywood to develop housing solutions for teachers.

Eighty-two-year-old Taylor, who served at the Albert Town High for 25 years, was described as “the number one teacher of remedial reading”.

According to her citation, the retired educator “is still going strong, teaching, preaching, praying, and witnessing to people about Christ and His love for humanity”.