Sadie Comrie, new JTA president.

THE 38TH ANNUAL conference of the Jamaica Teachers' Association's (JTA) begins today at the Renaissance Jamaica Grande in Ocho Rios, St. Ann and will continue until Wednesday.

Yesterday, members of the Association attended a special service at the Sharon Baptist Church in Santa Cruz, St. Elizabeth.

Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, Fitz Jackson, headed the list of officials, which included Jamaica Labour Party spokesman on Education, Senator Anthony Johnson; Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, Wesley Barrett, and hundreds of teachers who crammed into the church.

Minister in charge of the Phillipo Baptist Church, Rev. Jeffrey McKenzie, lauded the teachers for the significant role they have played in nation-building.

Emphasising the value of education Rev. McKenzie said that if the society was not educated, it could not have the kind of people that could make a difference. Outgoing JTA president Paul Adams and president-elect Sadie Comrie read the first and second lessons respectively.

The three-day JTA Conference is expected to be attended by more than 300 delegates. It will be held under the theme, "Information Technology and the Delivery of Quality Education".

The Conference will officially open at 11:00 a.m. today and tonight Mrs. Comrie will be installed as President during a function at 8:00. Tomorrow will feature several business sessions, followed by an awards ceremony to honour outstanding contributors to the Association. On Wednesday, representatives of the Ministry of Education are expected to address some of the challenges facing the JTA, among them the issue of salaries, according to the outgoing President.

The conference will also recognise incoming President-Elect, Wentworth Gabbidon, who was elected in June.

Mr. Gabbidon, Principal of Pike All-Age School in Manchester, defeated Evelyn Gyles, principal of Shortwood Practising and Junior High, St. Andrew in June.

Mr. Gabbidon is set to assume the top JTA post in August 2003 when Mrs. Comrie completes her tenure.

source: http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20020819/lead/lead5.html