Collier thanks aunt for education

Retired UTT senior lecturer Dr Cyril Collier credits his late aunt, Judith Mc Kenzie, for him being bestowed with the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) on Tuesday at the Republic Day National Awards ceremony, which was held at the National Academy for the Performing Arts, Port of Spain.

Collier, 77, said he was raised his aunt and grandmother in a poor family in Lambeau, Tobago, after his mother abandoned him and went to Trinidad.

Collier recalled his mother saying to his aunt he would not have been successful at anything in life.

"My aunt raised me and she said, 'Mavis (mother), I want to send Cyril to high school. My mother said 'No, don't waste your money. That boy will come up to no good and she just left me like that," Collier said, his voice cracking.

"It was my aunt who to took care of me and I am very grateful. She is somewhere in heaven looking down at me. I cried yesterday (Tuesday) when I received the award because I thought of her. Were it not her, Judith Mc Kenzie, I would not be the person I am today."

Collier was among seven people who received the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold) at the function.

"I am thrilled and enthused because all of my life I have been just working," he said of the award.

"I love education and I love culture and if that's the way for me to be recognised before I pass on, I am grateful to whoever nominated me."

Collier has enjoyed a distinguished career in education, spanning close to six decades. His career began at the Bon Accord Government Primary School in 1961. From there, it was on to Port of Spain Teachers' College.

On his return to Tobago in 1965, Collier was assigned to Bishop's High School, where he taught physical education and geography, "my strong point."

The Prime Minister, Chief Justice Ivor Archie, Tobago House of Assembly Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles and Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Dennis Moses were among his students.

Collier also taught late government minister and Tobago East MP Rennie Dumas, whom he described as his favourite student.

After leaving Bishop's, Collier was assigned to St Mary's College, Port of Spain.

He recalled teaching National Security Minister Stuart Young, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith and MPs Maxie Cuffie (La Horquetta/Talparo) and Darryl Smith (Diego Martin Central). Collier, who introduced rugby to St Mary's College, also was secretary of the Swimming Association of TT.

St Mary's College was not Collier's final stop in education. He also taught drama, dance and geography at Valsayn Teachers' College and later, at the UTT, from where he retired in 2014.

An avid power boat racer, Collier said receiving his doctorate in theatre and Carnival studies, under the tutelage of Prof Hollis Liverpool, in 2017, is the highlight of his career.

"I am the oldest person in the Caribbean to have a PhD at age 77," he said.

Liverpool, a nine-time National Calypso Monarch, received the nation's highest award, the Order of Republic of TT, at Tuesday's ceremony.

Asked what he considers to be the main problem confronting the education sector, Collier said teacher training.

"What they are passing off as teacher training is a hoax. I am glad that I don't have children of school age in school because I would not have any of those teachers teaching them."

He said the qualified UTT lecturers, who are teacher trainers, are no longer at the institution.

"They have degrees but they do not know the practicalities of teaching and that is the problem. They are not mentoring the students. They see it as a job, to get a ten to $15,000 salary and then go home."