St Mary teacher Gayana Riley receives JTA Golden Torch after four decades

Pride filled Gayana Riley when the Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) presented her with its Golden Torch Award for 40 years spent teaching and motivating countless pupils. She was one of several St Mary teachers recognised, and stood apart for having the longest service among them — a record she describes as proof of resolve, endurance, and affection for the profession.

“I have been in the system for 40 years and it has been a very excellent one. There have been many challenges along the way, but with help and the cooperation of teammates, I have made it through and I am truly happy for this moment to be collecting my Golden Torch Award, even though I should have collected it five years ago,” she said.

Riley, who teaches at Retreat Primary and Junior High School, first hoped to enter nursing. After weighing her options, she chose teaching instead. “I entered St Joseph Teachers’ College, where I received my bachelor’s degree in education and from that, my journey started and, truly, I have enjoyed every moment of it and I’m still in the system,” she said.

Her classroom career opened at Boscobel Primary in 1987, lasting four months. Short stints followed at Retreat Primary and Port Maria Primary before she rejoined Retreat Primary in 1990 and remained a fixture there. Along the way she also completed a bachelor’s degree in guidance and counselling and supported pupils preparing for the Primary Exit Profile (PEP) exams.

Hardships in the job have not dimmed her drive. Riley says her students’ grit and inquisitiveness keep her committed. “The eagerness of some of the children to learn, even though they might not be up to their full potential, keeps me going,” she said.