2023-24 LASCO MoEY JTC Teacher, TVET Teacher and Principal and of the Year Awards highlights Innovative Educators

In a celebration marked by enthusiasm and pride, The LASCO Chin Foundation, The Ministry of Education and Youth (MoEY), and the Jamaica Teaching Council (JTC) held its annual Teacher and Principal of the Year Awards, bringing together outstanding educators from various parts of the island to the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in Kingston.

Under the theme, ‘Quality education reconceptualized in the digital space,’ 130 educators were recognised for their impact on education in Jamaica and for their exceptional contributions to the school community, out of which, three were declared top awardees for the 2023-2024 Teacher, TVET Teacher and Principal of the Year titles.

Franklin Burrell, Master Teacher of Chemistry and Department Head at the St. Andrew High School for Girls, Ilene Cohall-Bailey,  Home Economics Teacher and Department Head at The Manning’s School, and Rayon Simpson, Principal of Belmont Academy, were the recipients of the prestigious titles respectively.

Serving as an educator for more than two decades, the LASCO/MoEY/JTC Teacher of the Year Franklin Burrell’s career is decorated with numerous awards and recognitions. Passionate about the integration of modern technologies in education, Burrell also boasts qualifications in Artificial Intelligence Literacy and Online and Distance Education.

Motivated by a yearning for knowledge and a commitment to finding novel ways of approaching various challenges, the LASCO/MoEY/JTC TVET Teacher of the Year Ilene Cohall-Bailey, has proven herself to be a logical and creative professional in continuous pursuit of improvement and innovation. With a sterling record of accomplishment, she has consistently inspired and motivated her students to excel.

The LASCO/MoEY/JTC Principal of the Year Rayon Simpson is a visionary leader with an unwavering commitment to nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving skills that have unquestionably resulted in his students’ many successes.  Simpson’s leadership has transformed Belmont Academy into the top-performing value-added Sixth Form in Jamaica, as recognized by the Task Force of Education Report in 2022.

The Teacher, TVET Teacher and Principal of the Year awardees, shared in a prize pool of $525,000.00. Third-place finishers received $25,000.00, second-place finishers received $50,000.00 while the winners each received $100,000.00. The top awardees, in addition to plaques and gift baskets courtesy of LASCO, will also have the unique opportunity to attend the 2024 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) Conference in Washington, D.C. March 22-25, 2024, enriching their professional development.

In his address, Executive Chairman of LASCO Affiliated Companies James E. D. Rawle, CD, highlighted the need for quality education to our nation’s development and inevitable evolution of practices and the importance of inclusivity.

“To briefly touch on the evolution – the programme started out in 1997 as the “Teacher of the Year Awards” and was later [I believe in 2006] expanded to include the “Principal of the Year” and in 2019, a new component, “TVET Teacher of the Year” was added. Over the years, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Youth and the Jamaica Teaching Council, modifications have been made to the nomination and selection processes and procedures and in other aspects of the programme. The clear idea is to innovate and renovate to expand to become more inclusive and be more effective,” Rawle remarked.

The event served as a reminder of the resilience that educators take with them into the classroom and not only honoured excellence in the field but also acknowledged their pivotal role in navigating the ever-evolving landscape of digital education. Notable among the awardees, Borzana Jones, Master Teacher of Geography at the Manchester High School was presented with the prize for Popular Vote. She garnered over 9,600 public votes on Instagram.

The joy expressed by the awardees reflected not only their personal accomplishments but also the collective success of the educational community in navigating the digital transformation even in the face of challenges. The awards ceremony showcased the innovative approaches adopted by teachers and principals in embracing digital tools to enhance the quality of education, from interactive online lessons to the creative use of technology to ensure social stability and security.

As the achievements of some of Jamaica’s outstanding educators are celebrated, LASCO looks forward to a future where quality education continues to evolve in the digital space. The Teacher and Principal of the Year Awards not only recognize excellence but also inspire others to embrace innovation and reimagine education for the benefit of empowering our students to become thought-leaders, gamechangers, and advanced citizens.