Astute Educator, Ms. Yonette Chichester, is a Special Person

Oct 18, 2015 News

“…being an educator gives you ample opportunity to help in any field of life; it is more than just being a teacher because you transfer morals and values; you are a psychologist, a sociologist, a nurse, a counsellor and so much more.”

By Sharmain Grainger

Astute Educator, Ms. Yonette Chichester, is a Special Person.

Anyone who has the capacity to dedicate their life to a cause that allows others to reap immense benefits while the tangible returns they gain is pretty much insignificant, can easily be deemed an exceptional individual.

Several educators in the public education system who have remained committed to the profession over the years can undoubtedly be placed in this ‘exceptional’ category.

It is for this reason that we have designated Ms. Yonette Chichester, our Special Person today.

She, like many other educators, has devoted her life to the cause of educating the nation’s children even in the face of many challenges that she overtime transformed into stepping stones.

After more than two decades of teaching, Chichester is still offering her expertise to the public education system with unprecedented dedication.

Hers is a career that started at President’s College (PC), a school that was established by now deceased President, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, to cater to the best performing students just out of primary school. The school first opened its doors in September 1985.

However, PC is one that has over the years seen its prestigious status reduced to a mere top East Coast Demerara secondary school.

During a recent interview with me, Chichester disclosed that she was there to witness firsthand how PC underwent what she described as a “glaring metamorphosis.”

TEACHING AS A CAREER

After completing her academic tenure at Teachers’ Training College (Cyril Potter College of Education) in 1989, Chichester intimated that “never in my wildest imagination did I see myself at President’s College; in my mind I wanted to be at Saint Stanislaus College.”

“For some reason or the other the then Principal, Mr. Henry Hinds, he went to the graduation at Cyril Potter College and he told them that ‘I want this teacher’…so when I got my letter of appointment and I saw President’s College I was very upset,” recounted Chichester.

She added, “I said I asked for Saints…My personal tutor had her son at Queen’s College and she recommended me to go there but then Mr. Hinds came and he said he wanted me too…I was pretty upset.”

Chichester however accepted the advice of a close college friend to accept the PC offer. “She told me ‘you didn’t ask for it; it’s presented to you, just go’; so I went.” It was upon accepting the offer that she was first privy to the fact that it was the Principal of the School that had handpicked her for the appointment.

She recalled vividly her first assembly at the school located at Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara, and it was quite revealing as it was surprising. Principal Hinds introduced her to the school and made it clear that “this teacher, I selected her…I went to the graduation and I told them I wanted this teacher to come to President’s College.”

Chichester’s entry into PC was at a time when the first batch of students was at the fourth form level. In 1990, PC for the first time entered students to write external examinations with the Caribbean Examination Council and the results, she recalled, was laudable.

Chichester was however tasked with teaching second and third form students at that time. Her specialist subject area was Integrated Science.

She has fond memories of the early days of PC. “In those days we had horseback riding, we had swimming and I can also remember the school offered Health Education and in my mind now I can see those old hygiene books, black in colour; these used to be given to the students during that period of time,” recounted Chichester.

Things were pretty straightforward at PC, she recalled, pointing out that “everyone attending PC then lived-in, and at that time it was only the top two percent of the country’s performers who were admitted.”

She explained that the top two per cent meant that only students who secured scores for Queen’s College and The Bishops’ High school were granted access.

Chichester remembered with a grin on her face how students were exposed to etiquette classes conducted by Ms. Olga Britton.

Students, regardless of the subject areas, were subjected to rigid study periods that saw the involvement of all teachers whether they lived on campus or not.

While at first Chichester wasn’t a campus resident, by 1994 this would all change. Two years earlier she’d started teaching students Biology in preparation for external examinations and therefore needed to channel more of her attention to them.

In the company of fellow educators, Sherwin Fraser and Carlyn Canterbury.

She recalled the Head of Department then, Ms. Grace Henry, thrusting her into the field of Biology. She was tasked with teaching fourth form students. This was a novel experience for Chichester who noted that it was in fact nerve-wracking.

“I can remember clearly, the first class I took straight through (to fifth form), the percentage pass rate was 67.7 percent and when I saw that, those were the days when CXC only considered grades one and two, as a young teacher I was concerned.”

“I was saying I don’t think this can work, there must be something I can do and so I was determined to do better,” added Chichester.

Remedying this state of affairs, which was especially daunting to her, meant devoting her August vacation to thoroughly examining the syllabus. “I went through every topic and wherever there were similarities I put them together,” said Chichester who recognised that one of the reasons for the low pass rate was because she did not complete the syllabus.

“I was thinking once that is done and the students had ample time to revise we could do better, added to this I believed in the positive.” she asserted.

Chichester, over the years, said that she premised her teaching career on always thinking positive. “Even if I needed to say something negative I always started with a positive…Everybody at PC was fighting for our performance to always be good and I decided that I was only going to be positive about my approach too,” recounted Chichester.

UNEXPECTED CHANGE

But then things changed at PC. The change might have occurred in 1992.

Chichester recalled that a number of students turned up at the education institution with common entrance scores that were very unfamiliar – way below the customary top scores.  Many of these students came from outlying areas, but this new development was a decision made at the level of a new Government that had recently assumed power.

Chichester was among those who fought tirelessly to have this decision reversed. With tears streaming down her face, she recalled appealing to Education Ministry officials at a meeting to not hamper the intent of PC – to nurture some of the country’s young brilliant minds.

“I told them what you are doing is not right; don’t do this…I said you’ve got to understand that in any education system you need a catalyst for change and if President’s College is going to be that catalyst it is going to help this country…”

Chichester’s appeal was however not enough to change the state of affairs which remains even today.

She observed then that many of the students who were belatedly granted admission to the school were not able to handle the rigid lecture sessions at PC. Some of them opted to drop out as a result.

As part of its transformation, the school started offerings both resident and non-residential placements to students. Even today residential placement is offered mainly to students from hinterland regions while non-residential placement is offered to students between Cummings Lodge and Mahaica. PC is currently deemed a top secondary school on the East Coast of Demerara.

“I was always a passionate fighter for President’s College and I will continue to be,” said Chichester of her continued commitment to the school she has dedicated all of her teaching years to.

As Deputy Principal of the institution today, Chichester is mostly tasked with administration but still has a fervent passion for being in the classroom. She intimated that though she was saddened by the lowering of the school’s status several years ago, she remains dedicated to helping to ensure that the school churns out the best possible performances.

In fact, with the change of Government recently, Chichester is hopeful that a desired change is on the way for PC.

She is confident that if the school is allowed to function on par with other ‘top’ schools of the country it could prove to be a force to be reckoned with academically. “It doesn’t matter who runs the country because I love my country regardless…if you are going to tell me all the schools are premier then put us on a level playing field and then make your conclusion,” she asserted.

OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

Although PC has over the years managed to grab a great deal of Chichester’s time and attention, it certainly has not been the only focus of her life.

Flanked by former Chairman of PC Board, Mahendra Sharma, teachers and the graduating class of 2014.

She has simultaneously managed to contribute immensely to her church – the Golden Grove Seventh-Day Adventist Church.

She disclosed that she was involved in church for most of her life. She’s currently tasked with being the Sabbath School Superintendent and also teacher of the Teens class. According to Chichester, her belief in God has been an especially important facet in her life that has helped to keep her focused.

The second of six children, Chichester was born on May 31, 1963 to parents, Beryl and Wycliffe Wilson.  She grew up in Calcutta, Mahaicony and learned from an early age that family is always an important factor in one’s life.

Moreover, it certainly isn’t surprising that Chichester, who now resides at Belfield Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara, has been able to be a loving wife to her husband, Ron Chichester and adoptive mother to four – three boys and one girl.

But being an educator, she insisted, has served to give her the outgoing and ever understanding character that she possesses.

Having been involved in the system for so many years she has been able to deduce for herself that “education truly is the key to success.”

She added, “I personally believe being an educator gives you ample opportunity to help in any field of life; it is more than just being a teacher because you transfer morals and values; you are a psychologist, a sociologist, a nurse, a counsellor and so much more…You deal with all kinds of children from all kinds of backgrounds.”

“In essence as an educator you become a people person because you have to understand and relate and help people…you prepare them for life,” asserted Chichester.

While educators are not one of the better paid workers of the land, the long-time educator is satisfied that she has been able to help with nation-building by remaining committed to her school and by extension her country.

In doing this she was able to utilise innovative skills to effectively educate her charges, which, according to her, is a special talent that teaching allows.