President’s College Head-Teacher, Carlyn Canterbury, is a ‘Special Person’

Jul 19, 2020 News, Special Person

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On a steady path to improving the education sector…

By Rehanna Ramsay

Carlyn Canterbury was just 17 years old when she joined the teaching profession.

She started her teaching career in 1987, at the Christianburg Primary School in Linden, Region 10. This week’s ‘Special Person’ has rendered 32 years of service to the profession.
It is no surprise that those closest to Ms. Canterbury describe her as an affable person with a quiet disposition, who is still very vocal on wrongdoings.

They noted that her stalwart quality includes professionalism and the care she exercises when carrying out her functions.
The 49-year-old Canterbury, who has made educating the nation’s children her life’s work, is the dedicated head-teacher of President’s College (PC) – one of the country‘s ‘A’ Level secondary schools.
During an interview with this newspaper, Canterbury labelled the experience of leading a team of over 150 staffers and 600 students at PC for nine years “a humbling one.”
The head-teacher said, “I couldn’t describe it any other way, because PC is unlike any other secondary school in Guyana. A significant percentage of our students live in dormitories on the school campus. I have held senior positions at other schools before but none like PC. So, I had to adapt quickly.”
“Take the dormitories for instance, the house parents are in charge and some of the young students who come from far flung areas like the hinterland region, would get home sick and cry a lot when they first arrive here.

The job of the house parents and the teachers to comfort them and ensure they adapt to their new school surroundings and most of them, eventually groove into the system,” Canterbury said.
She continued, “I find that they form a special bond with their classmates and bunk buddies. They learn to be independent and how to be appreciative of one another’s culture and ethnic differences.”
She explained that the average secondary school has about 50 teaching staff but PC has teaching staff in addition to auxiliary staff for the stores, farm, the kitchen, the account’s department and the dorms (house parents).
As head of the secondary school, this week’s ‘Special Person’ was positioned to oversee the physical and academic overhaul of PC.
Canterbury noted that there was a period the school had to work to restore its A Grade status.
“I was blessed to lead and witness that turn around,” Canterbury said.
She noted, under her tenure, the school has seen significant academic and physical improvement.
“I am extremely happy with PC right now; with the students and staff. We have been able to improve our staff morale significantly, which has been the motivating factor behind the improvement because in my view, the health of any organisation is as good as the people that drive it,” Canterbury said.
“I have been able to hold numerous conferences and conventions to revitalize the staff performance,” she added.
The head-mistress is pleased with the achievements PC has seen under her stewardship and hopes to continue to take the school’s name to higher heights.
GLOWING AMBITION
Growing up, Canterbury was the fourth of 10 children in the household. She said that as an elder sibling, she developed a passion to care for and teach others. She would sit all her little siblings down to play ‘teacher-teacher’. To her, becoming a teacher was a glowing ambition.

Thus throughout her academic years (even today), Canterbury said she was grateful to her elder brother, Junior Smith.
He had taken a year off from school to work so that he could be able to pay his CXC fees, but instead, quite easily gave his fees to her when their family could not afford to pay for her examinations.
He was unequivocally convinced that she would one day make the family and herself proud, which is exactly what she planned to do.
Soon after graduating high school, Canterbury began teaching for one year and later enrolled at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) in pursuit of professional training at the secondary level.
There, her outstanding performance and due diligence landed her the status of being one of the best Social Studies option students in 1991 – an award she happily shared with her very good friend and colleague, Robert Bourne.
By then a young graduate teacher, Canterbury worked in a bid to give back to her community; it is not surprising that most of her teaching experiences were gained at the Christianburg Wismar Secondary School in Linden.
She moved through many ranks there—from trained Graduate Mistress, to Head of Department- Social Studies in 1996 and finally, Deputy Head teacher in 2005.
As fate would have it, it was Mr. Marcel Hutson, the then Regional Education Officer for Region 10, who

recognized her leadership qualities and forthwith transferred her to head the newly built, state-of-the-art school, Wisburg Secondary in 2008.
Being officially appointed Graduate headmistress, Canterbury saw many accomplishments which she attributes to having been blessed to work with an excellent team of educators who demonstrated unwavering commitment to the various tasks at hand.
However, her devotion to moulding the minds of the nation’s future leaders does not stop at the level of the school system, Canterbury is also the proud mother of four wonderful children, who, according to her, are accomplished and socially well adapted.
It was her children’s placement at secondary schools in Georgetown that served as the impetus for Canterbury’s decision to uproot herself and family from the comfort of her established home in Linden to seek employment in Georgetown. As such, Canterbury responded to an advertised vacancy for Principal at President’s College and was delighted when she was appointed to the post in October 2011.
HIGHER GOALS
Following her appointment, Canterbury wasted no time to pursue higher educational goals. She already had a Bachelor’s Degree in Education Administration (2002) and decided to read for a Master’s Degree in Instructional Supervision, Planning and Management in 2012– both certificates are from the University of Guyana.
The headmistress said, however, that her professional journey would not be a reality with a steady support system which comprised her mother, husband, eldest daughter, two very good friends, and now deceased sister.
In fact, she said that her mother, Carmelita Prosper, remains a pillar in her life.
According to her, the 83-year -old matriarch taught her the boundless philosophy that working diligently is an invaluable asset and is therefore something to be proud of.
“I consider her an epitome of strength, not only for her family but to all and sundry.
She demonstrated this tirelessly as to this day she makes eatables, the likes of plantain chips, fudge and coconut biscuits, to sell in her own variety shop,” added the headmistress.
Suffice to say, Canterbury considers herself a chip off the block in this regard, as she too is considered an excellent cook.
When asked what she considers the high points of her life, a beaming Canterbury said, “my family and profession – they both bring me much joy and satisfaction; I am a proud mother and the Principal of one of Guyana’s premier secondary schools, what more can I ask for?”
Additionally, Canterbury revealed, as it relates to her children, she asks two things of them– good grades, and good conduct. Evidently, from the facts presented so far, she is very proud that they have not disappointed her.
To begin with, her four children have all managed to gain places at prominent secondary schools in Guyana.
Her eldest, being a former Region 10 CSEC and CAPE top student, is now a qualified Pharmacist. Her second child, who completed CSEC at President’s College, CAPE at St. Rose’s High School, and subsequently the Cadet Officers Course – GDF, recently completed his studies for Marine Officers in Brazil and returned to Guyana as a 1st Lieutenant experienced in high sea navigation.
Her third child, who recently sat CAPE at PC, graduated with a Diploma in Computer Science. Finally, her youngest child, who previously attended Queen’s College, has aspirations of becoming a medical doctor.
As headmistress, Canterbury says that she makes pretty much the same demands of her students at PC. She describes her students as “a very loving and closely knitted bunch”—at least most of the time.
For the record, Canterbury feels most accomplished about the good ethos and professional relationship shared between herself, the staff and students, whom she views more as her extended family.
When she is not dedicating her time and efforts to her profession or her children, Canterbury can be found teaching the Sunday school class at her church, or on other occasions, just spending quality time with her family in Linden.

 

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