Royal visit sparks excitement at Shortwood
Administrators, students at teachers’ college hope to reap benefits from visit, publicity
Published:Friday | March 25, 2022 | 12:05 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
Moments before Prince William and Duchess Catherine arrived at the Shortwood Teachers’ College in St Andrew yesterday, several students and teachers excitedly began lining the various corridors in anticipation of their arrival and of greeting the royal couple.
Many told The Gleaner that they were thrilled that the Cambridges, who are in the island on a three-day tour on behalf of The Queen to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee, would be visiting their institution.
“This absolutely will highlight us,” said Stephen Williams, president of the first-year students association, adding that the visit would help to showcase that “we are not just a school for teachers, but a school of professionals”.
The 28-year-old English major acknowledged that there were mixed views regarding the monarchy but said that the visit could change the negative views.
“It’s a good look for us, and I do look forward in seeing this continuing for the near future for anyone else [who visits] Jamaica to come to Shortwood Teachers’ College,” he said.
Acting Principal Dr Claudette Barrett Marsh was eager to welcome the couple, saying that it was a historic moment for the 136-year-old institution.
“Shortwood Teachers’ College is the premier early childhood educational institution in Jamaica for training teachers and lecturers,” she said. “We are in the business of educating, so if it is that we have an opportunity to show off what we do as an educational institution, we are going to do it.”
She said that discussions had with the royals had allowed them to pinpoint areas in which they might be able to provide support.
One objective of Their Royal Highnesses’ visit was to gauge how Jamaican early childhood instructors were being trained to teach infants and primary school students.
A fervent advocate of early childhood education, The Duchess interacted with some trainee teachers of the Shortwood Practising Primary and Infant School as well as some of the students and parents.
In June 2021, Duchess Catherine established The Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which seeks to raise awareness and take action on the profound impact of the early years on society for future generations. She has also spent time researching how early childhood experiences are often the underlying cause of some of the most challenging social obstacles, which results in deteriorating mental capacities, suicide, and family disruption.
Yesterday, she was particularly curious about how parents interacted with their children during and after class.
She also met with Early Childhood Commission experts, Shortwood’s researchers, and Kaysia Kerr, chairman of the National Parenting Commission.
“We were very happy to have that opportunity to share with her ... because we train teachers to do (teach students) that in our society and even in Britain,” said Barrett Marsh, noting that many alumni were working overseas.
The acting principal said that while no promises or charity contributions have been made just yet, she is convinced that yesterday’s visit will benefit the college significantly, even if it only provides much-needed exposure.
The Cambridges also spent some time relaxing and interacting under a large fruit tree with some trainee teachers and faculty members.
Duchess Catherine expressed gratitude to the administrators and students for facilitating their visit.
Language and literacy major Marsha Matthews said that while most of the students were anxious at first, the visit turned out better than expected.
The first-year student told The Gleaner that she was able to see a different side to the royals.
“They were pleasant,” Matthews said, reflecting on yesterday’s visit as well as that of Prince Harry’s in 2012, when Prince William’s younger brother visited the island as the Queen celebrated her Diamond Jubilee.