Duncan
ALFRED AUGUSTUS Duncan, former Principal of Windward Road All-Age School, has won the 2000 Governor-General's Achievement Award for Kingston.
A Justice of the Peace, Mr. Duncan was born in Portland in 1929. He was the child of a farmer and a shopkeeper mother. As a boy, he helped his father to rear animals and travelled long distances to buy goods for his mother's small shop before going to school.
He was a bright student at Rock Hall Elementary, where he sought not only to learn academics, but to excel in craft work and carpentry.
At 17, he passed the Third Jamaica Local examinations but because he was too young to be a teacher, he worked for two months at the Fruitful Vale Elementary School as an unpaid, pre-trained teacher.
In 1951, he enrolled at Mico Teachers' College, graduating a year later. In 1953, he was the sole male teacher at Mount Pleasant Elementary School in St. Catherine and acted as coach, community liaison and gardening teacher in addition to his regular duties. By the end of the year he became principal of his alma mater, Rock Hall Elementary School.
He was later appointed principal of Spring Garden Elementary School in Trelawny, where he spent nine years. In 1964, he accepted the post of Principal of Brandon Hill Elementary School in St. James, where under his leadership the school produced the parish champion in the Spelling Bee competition.
He was then selected as Principal of Windward Road All-Age which has grown from an enrolment of 900 to 2,400 with an accompanying staff increased from 12 to 61. He assisted in construction of a building for a library, home economics centre and craft room.
The school has also won the all-age sports competition for seven consecutive years.
Mr. Duncan is a recognised leader in the Social Development Commission youth club, the Jamaica 4H Club, the Golden Age Club in Brandon Hill, and the Domino Club in Rock Hall.
The father of three, he married his wife Desme-Mae in 1953. He is a Christian and a member of the St. Patrick's Anglican Church where he has served on the church committee for 15 years.
