Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter
Ena Barclay, principal of Lyssons Primary School in St. Thomas, will be proclaimed president-elect of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA) in August, after outscoring her rivals in the elections held in June.
The 51-year-old educator will be invested as the 40th president of the JTA next year, when incoming president Hopeton Henry's term expires. She will become the eight female president of the association.
Elated, humble
"I feel very elated although very humble. I believe my success was because of the level and quality service I've given to the education system," she said. "I am going to have to put out a lot to ensure that the teachers feel really satisfied." Mrs. Barclay said she also felt very humble that her colleagues had the confidence in her.
The other contenders for the president-elect position were Henry Palmer of Duanvale Primary, Trelawny; Cecelia Grant-Francis, principal of Porus Primary in Manchester, and Leodon Spence, senior teacher at Greater Portmore High School, in St. Catherine.
Mrs. Barclay is no stranger to the JTA and has been exposed to
different levels of training that the JTA had to offer. "I served my parish for 30 years and I've always tried to do my best for the teachers in this parish (St. Thomas) and elsewhere."
A graduate of Shortwood Teachers' College, the University of the West Indies and Mount Saint Vincent University, Mrs. Barclay also received the LASCO Salute to Teachers Award, the JTA Co-operative Credit Union
Scholarship and the Wesley Powell Scholarship, among others.
She told The Gleaner that her main challenge as president will be related to the transformation of the education system. Mrs. Barclay said she will have to ensure that her teachers are properly trained and the Ministry of Education and Youth upholds its end of the bargain in the transformation process.
