Elgin Taylor, STAR Writer

Sonia Lee - Elgin Taylor

The word 'passion' might not be adequate when trying to sum up the emotional attachment that Sonia Lee, a native of Cross Keys, South Manchester, has to the teaching profession and especially to the welfare of students.

"I think that every child should be entitled to an education, regardless of circumstances," said Lee, the principal of Spring Gardens All-age School, in St Catherine.

"It shouldn't matter whether the circumstance is a house, food, clothes, birth certificate or immunisation card. I believe that children should be treated as people in the making."

Lee said the education system needed to be streamlined in order to provide the opportunity for every child to excel.

She, however, lauded the effort being made by the Ministry of Education's new literacy thrust.

Lee also lashed out at the Grade Six Achievement Test, (GSAT) stating that its content is too difficult for students and can only lead to frustration for many.

"The GSAT is too difficult and people have to realise that not every student is academically inclined."

Poor conditions

She also described the conditions existing in some schools as unfortunate and said classrooms should be kept in a manner which is conducive to teaching and learning.

Lee, who earlier had ambitions of becoming a lawyer, opted for teaching because it presented the first real opportunity. However, she never failed to articulate her position.

Schooled at West Indies College in Mandeville, the University of the West Indies and Northern Caribbean University, she holds a teacher's certificate, a bachelor's degree in language and a master's degree in curriculum studies.

She got her first job as a teacher of mathematics at Port Maria High School in St Mary in September 1977. The other schools where she was employed are: Charlemont High in St Catherine (1982-1989), Jonathan Grant High (1989-2001), Innswood High (2001-2007). She has been the principal of Spring Gardens All-age since September 2007.

Teacher trainer

She also worked with the Ministry of Education as a teacher trainer, expounding the Reform of Secondary Education curriculum which is designed to lead to improvements in secondary education. This took place while she was employed at Jonathan Grant High.

This tireless educator, who credits her early development to Donaldson Bernard, former principal of Charlemont High, said she would like to become an education consultant.