The Christian’s baton for the race of life is the Cross and we remember with gratitude those who regarded education as a priority for nation building. Although our Motto is “Out of many one people “, 90 % of our population are descendants of enslaved Africans.
According to Olive Senior in her book, “Encyclopedia of Jamaican Heritage” education for the masses during enslavement was unthinkable. At Emancipation in 1838 there was a Grant of Thirty Thousand pounds from the British Government; this was reduced after 1841 and ceased after 1845. We therefore owe a debt of gratitude to the various Churches for taking up the baton towards Education and we remember Raines Waite (1650-99) from Vere Clarendon. In his Will of 17 June 1694 he instructed that “ a free school shall be erected for poor children in the parish.” That is the Foundation for what is today Manchester High School that opened in 1885.
It is important to remember the pioneering contribution of the Moravian Church to education beginning in 1756 at Carmel in St. Elizabeth . They started an elementary school under trees in Rowe’s Corner now Alligator Pond . The first school was built at Lititz St. Elizabeth.
In 1835 Venerable John Trew of Mandeville Parish Church wrote several letters to England for educational support for the 311, 000 enslaved soon to be freed. Only one person. Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, paid attention to the request, Mico College was established for teacher education. Graduates from this College include two Governors General of Jamaica and Jamaica’s first Minister of Finance. The Mico Practicing School nurtured Bishop Percival Gibson. the first Jamaican born Anglican Bishop, first Principal of Kingston College which is this year commemorating its centenary and he established other schools. Bishop E. Don Taylor former student of Mico Practicing School, then Kingston College where he later became Principal, then served at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.
When Kingston College was relocated to North Street in 1934, the property was acquired by Mr. E. B. Hazlewood from then British Guyana, for the establishment of the High School, St. Simon’s College. Six outstanding Jamaicans who attended that school were:
Most. Hon. Hugh Shearer Prime Minister of Jamaica
Archbishop Samuel Carter first Jamaican to attain that position in the Roman Catholic Church
Bishop Neville DeSouza 4th Jamaican Anglican Bishop
Dr. the Hon Joyce Robinson First Jamaican Director of the Jamaica Library Service
Hon. G. Arthur Brown first Jamaican to be Governor of the Bank of Jamaica
Dr. the Hon Louise Bennett -Coverly, who later attended Excelsior High . Miss Lou’s zeal for the Jamaica language according to Professor the Hon. Mervyn Morris must be taken seriously and this was long before UNESCO declared endorsement of Indigenous language in 2019. On the 25 September 2025 Oxford Dictionary added six Jamaican words :
bulla, brought-up-sy, carry-go-bring=come, Jamaica Creole, tantie , salt fish.
No wonder we were taught in teaching ,” Treat every child as a King or a Queen because you do not know who will wear the crown.”
We will remember Mr. W. F. Bailey father of Hon. Amy Bailey . Mr. Bailey of Mt. Olivet School in Manchester initiated in 1894 a group of teachers to lobby for the payment of fees to Primary School to be discontinued. That group had its inaugural meeting at the Church Hall of the Cathedral Spanish Town facilitated by Canon Wortley and that is today the foundation of the Jamaica Teachers Association . The recommendation of the Jamaica Union of Teachers was approved by Archbishop Enos Nuttal, Chairman of the Board of Education. He was also the first Chairman of the Board of Shortwood Teachers’ College established in 1885, and Chairman of the Board of Mico College for 34 years..
The Diocese of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands continues the Mission of Education and there is Department in charge of operations directed by the outstanding scholar and administrator Mrs. Ena Barclay former President of the Jamaica Teachers’ Association. The present institutions for the Anglican Church are
Cayman Islands 1 Basic School
Jamaica
Primary and Infant 25
Primary 55
All Age 8
Infant 5
Primary and Junior High 2
Preparatory 9
High Schools 13
Teachers College 1
Since the Right Hand of God is writing in our land , let us continue to ,” Take up thy cross let not its weight fill thy weak spirit with alarm. God’s strength shall bear thy spirit up and brace thy heart and nerve and thy arm Thine is the kingdom , the power and the glory for ever. AMEN”
