PM Medal of Appreciation Awardee Sees Teaching as Ministry

Principal of the Mt. Zion Primary and Infant School in Montego Bay, St. James, Onex Bowen, views her teaching journey as a ministry.

The devout Christian believes that she is fulfilling a calling on her life to provide instruction for the nation’s children, a call which she answered 23 years ago.

After completing her teacher-education training at Church Teachers’ College in Mandeville, Mrs. Bowen returned to her hometown of Somerton in James where she served for two years at her alma mater, Somerton All-Age and Infant School, before moving to Mt. Alvernia Preparatory School in Montego Bay where she remained for three years.

Mrs. Bowen returned to her core training in secondary education at Spot Valley High School in St. James as the Head of the English Department, where she taught English Language and English Literature for seven years.

For the past 11 years, the accomplished educator has been at the helm of the Mt. Zion Primary and Infant School where, as principal, she has led the charge to transform the institution.

“Although I was trained to teach at the secondary level, God has equipped me with what I need to minister to the children. The primary school, as you know, is a little different from what my training prepared me for, but I realised that in answering the call to be an administrator at that level, God equipped me with everything that I needed,” she says.

The Mt. Zion principal says she does not have a preference for teaching children at any particular stage, whether primary or secondary, noting that the outcome yields the same level of satisfaction.

“It doesn’t matter what age children I teach; I love what I do, I have a passion for education, and I am very happy with what I am able to do with the children,” she says.

Mrs. Bowen is pleased that her school has experienced exponential growth during her tenure and recalls the early days when she had to play a dual role in administration and classroom instruction.

This is no longer a necessity, as the staff complement has also grown, but she still, at times, supports the teachers in their classrooms.

“I love teaching so although I am now an administrator, there are times when I will go into the classroom and teach. I don’t think I can get away from that,” she says.

“I greet my children, ask if they are OK and wish them a good day, and then I go back to my other duties. But there are times where I will go sit in the class. I’m an instructional leader because I stay close to the curriculum and what the teachers are doing. I actually go in the class and do incidental teaching at times,” the principal notes.

Mrs. Bowen tells JIS News that the school has evolved during her tenure.

“Initially when I went to Mt. Zion Primary in 2012, there were 26 students. I was given a mandate to grow the school, and our school has now grown by approximately – 400 per cent after the first three years,” the principal explains.

One of the big changes, she notes, is the introduction of the infant department.

She tells JIS News that the change was to address deficiencies identified in students who came in at grade one.

“Some of the children in the community did not go to basic school so when they came to grade one, it was like they were coming to school for the first time,” she points out.

Following a discussion with the chairman of the school board, a decision was made to register an infant department.

“That was one of our innovations, and that is one of the things that helped our school to grow. Of course, we were able, with the support of our stakeholders through various partnerships, to effect this change. We now have over 130 children on roll,” the proud principal declares.

Surprisingly, Mrs. Bowen did not always want to be a teacher. The Mt. Alvernia High School graduate focused on the sciences while in high school, determined at the time to become a pharmacist.

After high school, she worked at a pharmacy for two years as an assistant while she harboured plans to attend the University of Technology (formerly the College of Arts Science and Technology), but life had other plans for her.

“I went into prayer along with my mother to determine what my next step would be if I did not study to become a pharmacist. I felt an urge to go to Mandeville and after looking at the schools in Mandeville I decided on Church Teachers’ College. I went there and the rest is history,” Mrs. Bowen says with a smile.

The Mt. Zion Primary and Infant School principal is acutely aware of the responsibility on her shoulders, not just for shepherding students but also the teachers under her supervision.

“For those persons that I supervise, I build leaders on my team, and I feel very fulfilled doing that. Taking some young teachers just out of college and mentoring them and seeing their growth, to me, is just phenomenal.

“When I see my babies becoming adults and having their own children, it’s a joy for me to watch, especially when the children that pass through my hands go on to impact others. It’s a blessing and a joy and is among the things that make me continue,” she beams.

Mrs. Bowen, who is a member of the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands (UCJCI), serves as elder at the Somerton United Church and is a member of the Education Commission of the Synod of UCJCI.

She was also Vice Chair for Schools and Institutions in the Western Regional Mission Council of the UCJCI and as National President of the United Church Young People’s Fellowship.

In addition to her church, Mrs. Bowen credits the Jamaica Teachers ‘Association (JTA) for giving her the opportunity to build her career and to develop her leadership skills through activities both locally and abroad.

The Mt. Zion principal served as President of the St. James Teachers’ Association and the JTA’s National Primary Chair in 2019.

This, she says, was an enlightening period as it was the first year that children in Jamaica were sitting the Primary Exit Profile (PEP).

She has also served on the central executive and the general council of the powerful teachers’ union.

“I love my union as it has contributed in a big way to my growth and what I am able to achieve as a leader. The JTA has not only given to me, but it has allowed me to give to others as well,” she tells JIS News.

Mrs. Bowen encourages young persons who are considering teaching as a profession to ensure that it is something that they love.

“You must love teaching because if you don’t, when the challenging times come, you are going to opt out very easily,” the senior educator notes.

She also advises young prospective teachers to ensure that they have a mentor to help them to navigate the profession.

Mrs. Bowen is one of 80 educators who received the Prime Minister’s Medal of Appreciation for Service to Education on Thursday, September 8.