Portrait of former GHS teacher handed over to school

A PROJECT which seeks to ensure that the rich heritage of the St Vincent Girls’ High School (GHS) is passed on to present-day students moved one step further this week.

On Wednesday, Sir Errol Allen handed over to the school, a portrait of his late sister Pauline Allen-Young, who was a much-loved, feared and well-respected teacher at the GHS in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s.

Form 1GYoung, a first form at the school, is named in honour of Young, who was primarily a teacher of Mathematics, but also taught English in the earlier years.

Thirteen forms at the GHS are named in honour of former teachers or headmistresses, and according to Lynette Glasgow, a past student and one of the coordinators of the project, the aim is to help today’s students put faces to the names and to learn who were these teachers and what was the contribution they made to the institution which is now 112 years old.

Forms 1GYoung, 1G Norris, 1G Velox, 1G Dacon, 2 McKie, 2 Connell 2 Crick, 2 Jacobs, 3 DeBique, 3 Horne, 3 Browne, 3 Dougan and 3 Bowman were named in honour of teachers Pauline Young, Irma Norris, Elsa Velox, Monica Dacon, Iris McKie, Elaine Connell, Evelyn Crick, Jennie Jacobs, Lorna DeBique, Jeanne Horne, Joye Browne, Susan Dougan and Andrea Bowman respectively.

Glasgow said the idea is for the photographs or portraits of the former teachers and headmistresses to be displayed in the respective forms and for the students in those forms to conduct research to see how much they can learn about the women after whom their forms were named.

Sir Errol Allen is the first person to respond to the call for photographs / portraits, Glasgow said, and made an appeal for persons after whom forms have been named or their relatives to contribute to the project by providing photographs and biographical information. Glasgow said she would also welcome volunteers to assist with the project.

The portrait of Pauline Allen-Young was painted by Lennox ‘Dinks’ Johnson and is a smaller version to one which is on display at the Pauline Allen-Young Resource Centre at Frenches House in Kingstown.