Remembering Clyde Permell

THE TRIBUTES were aplenty on April 4 as relatives, friends, colleagues and well-wishers bade farewell to a stalwart educator and trade unionist. Clyde Permell answered the call to serve the teaching profession in 1969, entering Mausica Teachers College to become one of a couple hundred people to benefit from the short-lived but highly acclaimed two-year, pre-service teacher training programme.

According to his "batch" member Anthony Garcia, Clyde instantly demonstrated an ability to organise and lead as a young man and these skills would go on to define his career well into retirement. Servant leadership would indeed be his destiny, for he would never waver from that call throughout his career.

This long and distinguished career would subsequently transcend both the primary and secondary sectors, including administration. Being one of the pioneer technical vocational teachers at the newly opened Aranguez Junior Secondary School in 1974, he was determined to prove that this radical transformation in our approach to education was necessary and worthwhile.

A rebel, as some would describe him, he was unafraid to challenge the status quo on matters he felt passionate about; a trait that automatically unleashed the trade unionist in him. It was no surprise then that by 1979 he would be a staunch supporter of efforts to unify teachers into a single union.

As a young, vibrant and dynamic teacher, he displayed a passionate willingness to repel perceived injustices, fearless and resolute in his quest to rally others around a common cause. Before long a bold, brave yet unassuming trade union leader would emerge to champion the fight for better remuneration and working conditions for teachers, both locally and regionally.

He would eventually ascend to the position of president of TTUTA on two occasions (1990-1992 and 2004-2007), as well as the presidency of the Caribbean Union of Teachers (1995-1999). As president in 1991 he ensured TTUTA played a pivotal role in the quest for trade union unity with the formation of the National Trade Union Centre of TT.

His regional colleagues attested to his commitment to regional integration, for he recognised the need for unity among regional educators, mindful of their common historical antecedents of oppression and human indignity, and thus commonality of purpose.

He spared no effort to ensure that teachers in the region proudly carried the expectation for a better tomorrow, with education as their vehicle of true empowerment. Indeed, many local and regional politicians would have felt the venom of his verbal arsenal when he adorned his battle regalia to press the case for quality education.

In the many moving tributes, many alluded to his unwavering commitment to TTUTA, confident that he consistently epitomised the dictum, “To Your TTUTA Be True.” His TTUTA would become the primary focus of his professional career, oftentimes consuming his private life in the process.

Defeat and disappointment served as a catalyst to motivate his burning desire to address social injustice and improve the quality of our education system, unafraid to fearlessly lead his troops through the streets of TT, if necessary, convinced that teachers must be given their just due.

Few would argue that he left an indelible mark in his four-decade quest to promote the cause of education, as well as the fundamental principles of social justice, equity and fairness. Many attested to his astute but empathetic leadership style, always exuding a quiet confidence and poise that many came to admire.

Always impeccably attired for his formal roles along with the attendant professional demeanour, this image could have just as easily transformed into an informal, casual, affable character that his many friends had come to know, for he firmly believed in working hard and playing hard.

His humble upbringing would serve as his moral compass throughout his professional and private life, never abandoning ethical principles of honesty, decency and integrity.

From his active involvement in sport and culture in the various schools he worked in, to the many informal TTUTA events, his warm, gentle and affable side made him many friends across the country and the region. His simple humble lifestyle, along with a firm commitment to the principles of professionalism, accountability and dedication to public service, were defining factors in his long and illustrious career.

Our country and indeed the region owe him a debt of gratitude. His commitment and relentless advocacy for the transformation of education through the enhancement of the status of teachers defined his entire career and would be his proud legacy.