Church Teachers' College

The College began in September 1965 as Mandeville Teachers' College, with 75 students, twenty-four of whom were men. The institution was established with the blessing and authority of the Rt. Rev. Percival Gibson, then Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jamaica. The moving figure to obtain the facilities for a College of Education in Mandeville at that time was the Rt. Rev. Benjamin Vaughan, Bishop of Mandeville.

He was the first chairman of the Board of Management, and he ensured that benefactors like the Kerr Jarrett family, Dr. Herbert Morrison and the Ministry of Education were convinced of the value of the College to the community and the island in general. Bishop Vaughan remained a faithful friend and benefactor of the College until his death in 2003.

The first Acting Principal was Mr. R. Geralt Jones from Wales, whose wife Mrs. Sue Jones, taught music. Other members of the academic staff at the beginning were Deaconess Winnie Hoilett, (who later became the Rev. Winnie Bolle), Mrs Joan Swaby who taught Spanish and English, Mrs. Phyllis Bachelor, who taught Home Economics, and Mr. Kenneth Thaxter, then a Lay Reader in the Anglican Church, who taught English, Social Studies, History and Physical Education. The first permanently appointed principal of the College was the Rev. Orland Lindsay. He served from 1967-1970 and later became Archbishop of the West Indies. He was succeeded by the Rev. William Murray who served from 1970-1978. He later became the Bishop of Mandeville.

The College began with 25 preservice teachers in the Primary Programme and 50 in the Secondary Programme. As the institution grew, it increased the number of Secondary Teachers and eventually became the only institution in the island which focused on the training of teachers for the age group 12+ to 17+. Later, Post-Certificate students in both Primary and Secondary areas were trained and since the dawn of the 90's the College has also trained University Graduates who wished to pursue professional qualifications with a Diploma in Teacher Education. Today, the College is on track to begin to prepare students for a degree in Secondary Education. From the outset, the College has been a member of the Joint Board of Teacher Education (JBTE) at the University of the West Indies which sets the programmes and certifies its Diploma.

The College has grown from its small beginning of 75 students in 1965 and now has a student population of over 400 students. It has recently re-introduced the Early Childhood Education into its curriculum and now trains teachers both in Secondary Education and Early Childhood Education as well as a Specialized Primary Spanish programme. It has an Evening Institute that prepares members of the community for the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) examinations. It has state-of-the-art Computer Labs that prepare teachers in training to teach computer skills in schools and to integrate ICT in their methodology they also provide opportunities for community members to obtain computer training.

The College enjoys a collaborative relationship with Temple University in the USA through which it offers the B.Sc. in Primary and Early Childhood Education. This programme is designed for teachers who already hold a Diploma in Teaching.

Over the last 40 years, the College has achieved high academic honours. It has won awards for its performance in Mathematics, English and other subject areas in the final JBTE examinations. It has produced J.J. Mills scholars, and graduates who have proceeded to excel in higher University Degrees and work in Universities in Jamaica, Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. A number of outstanding past students have been appointed Principals of schools and are performing very well. A number of others have become ministers of religion, lawyers, etc., and hold very responsible positions in Jamaica and the wider world.

Perhaps the most outstanding achievement of the College has been in its development of human resources and scholars with a love for community Service. As early as 1967 when schools in Portland and Hanover were closed for the lack of teachers, graduating students from Church Teachers' College: Mandeville volunteered to re-open closed schools and so provide hope for those bereft communities. Over the years, through its clubs and societies, and through its Physical Education Department, the College has continued to offer assistance to Children's Homes, the mentally and physically challenged, and schools which need help to organize and run sporting events.

The College has remained tightly organized with an alert Board of Management chaired by the Bishop of Mandeville, a very gifted and talented Academic Staff, and a co-operative Administrative and Ancillary Staff.