Gloria Fisher, principal of Bartons Primary School in St Catherine, with some of her charges. - Norman Grindley/Chief Photographer

For the better part of 40 years Gloria Fisher has lived her passion - teaching - and all that time has been spent at the Bartons Primary School in South West St Catherine.

"I love teaching, it is in my blood. I used to teach the trees and the stones as a child and I just love it. I could do nothing else," Fisher told The Gleaner recently as she proudly kept tabs on the 264 students and 10 teachers at the school where she has served as principal for 32 years.

"I have not been in any other field. I love the children so much," Fisher stated.

However, she admitted that in recent years some of her students have made the job of teachers that more stressful and less fun.

"It was very, very rewarding until the 2000s. Before that, the children I used to teach were so respectful and ready to learn, but now it is as if I'm forcing the children to read," said Fisher as she pointed to the increase in access to DVDs, television and music systems as part of the problem.

Precious memories

Despite the change in the attitudes of some of her students, Fisher said her years in the classroom have provided precious memories.

"I would not do anything else except teaching because the reward is seeing my boys and girls excel. After having been a teacher for so many years, when I go out there I see my students in so many fields and it brings joy."

With a smile, Fisher noted that she was born in Bartons and attended the primary school before returning to work there as a pre-trained teacher for five years.

Then came a break for further qualification and she was off to West Indies College, Mico Teachers' College and the Uni-versity of the West Indies.

Two degrees later, she returned to Bartons Primary in 1977 and has been there moulding the lives of thousands of students ever since.

She argued that the students who succeed are usually the ones whose parents are actively involved in their education.

"We have a vibrant parent-teacher association, but it is still the same 50 parents who come every time. You will never find some parents coming until something goes wrong at school."

She added: "But we have some parents who work with us and sometimes when we have work-shops we can call on parents to come in and man those classes for us."

Parent involvement needed

The veteran teacher says that the problem of parents not being involved in the school life of their children is a major issue for Jamaica's education system, which has been criticised in the past for graduating illiterates.

"The education system is very good now. When I left college in 1977 teachers could work in schools with a certificate ... then later there was talk about a diploma, then a first degree and second degree. Now we have teachers with their doctorate," she said.

"A number of young people are making use of it but not enough, particularly the young men. Too many of our boys don't see education as a chance to make money so they instead get in gangs and other things," lamented Fisher.

Now in the twilight of her career, Fisher has one final wish for the school which she passionately calls her own.

"We have one major setback, and that is that we don't have a computer lab. Every time we try to get sponsors we have failed but I'm not giving up."

arthur.hall@gleanerjm.com