2013-Feb-11-1847Hrs
Errol,
I am submitting this article for publication on the MTC website.
Orville Wolsey
Sunset Villa 1971 -'73
Farmers Den 1973 -'74
"Three years at Mausica
Teachers’ College
My Pre Mausica Teachers’ College
Days
I graduated from secondary school in 1968.
My History teacher at that time advised us the graduating class that
we should not get into Teaching or the Police Service.
I started working on my father’s farm (unpaid occupation):
Agriculture (planting ‘figs’ (bananas), animal husbandry (rearing pigs) and
continued the practice of apiculture (bee keeping). I was happily engaged in my rural lifestyle
while applying for employment in industries in my area.
One weekend I visited my secondary school to spectate some football.
My former Principal saw me asked what I was doing for employment. I indicated
that I was assisting my father on his farm. He immediately pointed me to a job
with a major cigarette manufacturer he indicated that the job was mine but that
I needed a drivers licence. My father was not in agreement with this line of
employment since he was a non-smoker and felt that the job would corrupt my
morals and so did not fund my acquisition of the required licence. Some months later at another sporting event I
encountered the Principal who enquired how I was doing in the job. When I told
him that I was not able to get the job because of my father’s objection to the
type of job and his refusing to fund the acquisition of a drivers licence. He
immediately said that I was being kept back by being on the farm and asked me
to call the chemist at a sugar factory for a position in their Laboratory. He
indicated that it was a job without a future but that I should take the
position and seek other jobs since it was easier to get a job while in another
job. My father had also objected to me doing a Diploma in Agriculture at ECIAF
in Centeno, as his opinion of Agricultural Extension Officers was that they
were all drunkards.
I started the job at the Sugar factory on Easter Monday 7th April
1969 as a Process Controller and Frog Hopper Control. I continued there until
August 1969 when I moved to an Industrial Tyre Factory in Point Fortin in their
Laboratory as a Quality Control Technician. For some time I moved back home and
then back to living on the farm. In April 1970 I quit the job at the
factory. I continued working on the
farm.
On mornings and evenings I would observe children on their way to
and from school. I started to reason that I was wasting my time on the farm. If
I could get a teaching appointment at the nearby school I could combine my
agricultural activities with educating the young. One weekend I left the farm
and indicated that I was going to the Ministry to seek an appointment. That
weekend I visited a friend who was going to the USA to pursue an Athletic
scholarship. His father who was the Principal of the school asked me if I would
consider a teaching position at his school. As there would be a vacancy in
September.
I started my teaching career on the 14th September 1970.
I left the farm but the farm did not leave me. The school was very active in
school gardening. I spent a wonderful year at the school.
I applied for and was awarded a scholarship to Mausica Teachers’
College I entered on September 6th 1971 and graduated in July 1973.
Two years at MTC 1971 –
1973
Entry into Mausica was characterised by dissonance and
disorientation as the second year students sought to get the ‘freshers’
oriented. Of the 110 students who entered 1 student ran away from Mausica to
enter UWI. One student with an afro remained ‘muff-less’ for a long time after
meeting the Muffin man. The second year students were very angry with me since
I always maintained a low haircut and the muffin man had nothing to remove. The
week ended with the first years being welcomed into the community in a moving
ceremony.
I entered MTC thinking that I would pursue Industrial Arts as an
elective. Imagine my surprise when walking back to my Hostel -Sunset Villa- to
see Mr Ralph S. Persad ploughing a field with a wheel tractor. I immediately
stopped him and enquired if Agriculture would be offered as an elective, he
responded in the affirmative and Industrial Arts was relegated to a Year 1
optional subject. I had two great lecturers in I A Mr Maundy and Mr Arthur. Mr
Arthur never ceased in trying to persuade me to switch from Agriculture
Elective to pursue I.A. Elective while Mr Maundy only smiled at his efforts and
continued nurturing my love and interest in Woodwork. I had a thirst for
knowledge and would have also done Home Economics with Mrs Bernice Bruce-Dick
and Mrs Beryl Woods since I loved cooking. However, time would not permit.
The Agricultural Science program had been introduced to train
teachers for the new Junior Secondary Schools which were coming on stream and
was supported by CIDA with lecturers from Canada Mr Stacey in Agriculture who
had left before my entry into MTC and Mr Rapsey in Psychology and Science. The
College was able to ‘piggy back’ on this program by exposing the teacher
trainees to Optional Agriculture (1 year) and Elective Agriculture (2 years).
Many of these Elective students went on to teach Agricultural Science in the
Secondary Schools, Teachers Colleges. ECIAF and The University of Trinidad and
Tobago.
I really enjoyed the pursuit of Agriculture studies imbibing both the
theory and practice.
I established:
an Apiary
a
Guava Orchard
a field of Cacao, Bananas and Pommerac.
Not satisfied with only establishing this plantation type
agriculture I sought and received permission to establish a Home garden with
beds and troughs around the ‘Farmers Den’ as the Agriculture Building came to
be known.
I also attached myself as an apprentice to the farm attendant Mr
Singh to learn the art of cutting drains.
As part of my special project I also created a chart series for
teaching Apiculture and a demonstration hive for use in the classroom.
As agriculture students we did not only engage in the practice,
production and post processing of crops and livestock but engaged in
utilization activities (cooking and sharing) of the produce at the Farmers Den.
In July 1973 I graduated with a Distinction in Agriculture and an
award for the greatest contribution to Agriculture.
Upon Graduation I was appointed as a Teacher 1 at Santa Flora
Government Primary School in September 1973. This was to be a very short stay.
Year Three at Mausica Teachers College.
In November I re-entered Mausica Teachers College for a One Year
course to Teach Agriculture at the Junior Secondary School. This course took me further in depth into my
knowledge of Agriculture and the teaching of Agriculture to Secondary School
students. My evenings were utilized in the construction of some furniture in
the Woodwork shop.
Orville Wolsey
Sunset Villa 1971-1973
Farmers Den 1973 - 1974"
Orville Wolsey
No comments:
Post a Comment