Dear Editor,

Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College successfully defended its title as the Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica Challenge Quiz champions.

In a final match held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at Shortwood Teachers’ College, a four-member team that was captained by Donovan Hanson Jr, co-captained by Jayden Scott, and aided by younger cohorts K’Alee Silvera and Daniel Rhoden surged to victory over their hosts. This is the second-consecutive year that the college has won this championship, a bittersweet victory as the college rebounds from the onslaught of Hurricane Melissa.

The four-member team benefited from the participation of Mickel Scott and Chavez Taylor, proficiently coached by final-year language specialist Genell Alcock. The performance of the students characterised grit and determination in training. Indeed, a first-place ranking was not easily obtained as the college had to fight off Church Teachers’ College in a semi-final tiebreaker that elicited a rapid answer, conceding to the significance of the Acts of the Apostles.

The quiz team at Sam Sharpe managed onerous workloads, family commitments, and remote residential addresses to optimise face-to-face training sessions at the college. They met in the early mornings before class and in the afternoons when class was over, with a designated timekeeper, Marisha Peddie; data analyst, Adrian Roache; and scorer, Kemoya Thompson. Interestingly, students showcased an integrated curriculum approach as they sought to specialise in academic areas that transcended their academic majors. Although internet connectivity precluded online training, the harnessing of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content revealed a hybrid approach to learning. Their lecturer coach, Chandradath Madho, functioned as a drillmaster and storyteller, whilst harnessing support from fellow academics, Dr Lois Hector and Serain Jackson.

The impressive performance by Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College attests to the reputation of the school as a leading tertiary institution in western Jamaica. The college increased its intake in September 2025 and responded robustly to Melissa with a coordinated response from its principal, Dr Ricardo Bennett, to reopen the school by December 2025. Carefully planned timetables and meticulously managed usage of electrical generators ushered the end of 2025.

The college did not just excel in the challenge but also earned a third place position in the Teachers’ Colleges of Jamaica National Debate in February 2026, defeating Moneague College.

In reflecting on the recent successes of Sam Sharpe, Coach Madho opines that the college’s story is part of western Jamaica’s surge towards upward social mobility. The college was formed in 1975 and is named after the leader of the 1831 Christmas Rebellion, Sam Sharpe, who lobbied for the Emancipation of enslaved Africans. Since its founding, this symbolic name has evoked pride in the college fraternity, who are also buoyed by mutual relations with the community of Granville, a free village named after British abolitionist Granville Sharpe.

Slavery ended in Jamaica in 1838, but the quiz titans and critical debaters of Sam Sharpe are fighting new battles and spreading goodness.

Chandradath Madho

Lecturer

Sam Sharpe Teachers’ College

chandradath.madho@gmail.com