Approximately four (4) years after graduating from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica, with 1st class honours, 2008 OAS Scholarship Awardee, Jeanette Maitland graduated on Saturday, 7th August, 2010 from the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida, USA. Ms. Maitland left the Federation in August 2008 to pursue a Master of Arts Degree in Library and Information Science, with a specialization in School Media.
According to Ms. Maitland, her choice of specialization resulted from realization of a need for school library media specialists and a school library media program in St. Kitts. She supports the view that school libraries/media centres, which provide students and teachers with equitable and timely access to a wider variety of ideas and information, are integral to teaching and learning. In addition, she believes that it is important to teach Information Literacy skills to students at all levels of education in order to develop an independent, lifelong, socially responsible citizenry. Information Literacy equips students with the knowledge and skills, which will enable them to access, evaluate, organize and use ideas and information effectively. Ms. Maitland hopes that it would not be long before the relevant policy makers recognize the need for a school library program in the education system.
Ms. Maitland’s training included an intense field study at school media centres in Tampa, Florida at both the primary and secondary levels. In spite of an extremely intense program of study, she was able to maintain a 3.97 GPA (4.0 scale) during her training. She attributes her success to God’s faithfulness to her as well as the support and prayers of Dr. Cora and Paul Dunkley, her Godmother, Lucina Miller, and her family and close friends. In addition, she subscribes to Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”
Prior to pursuing her Master’s Degree, Ms. Maitland was appointed Graduate Teacher and worked at the Washington Archibald High School. She began her teaching career under the guidance of Ms. Emelita Jordan, her grade one teacher, at the Lodge Infants School (now Violet Petty Primary School). After graduating from the St. Kitts-Nevis College of Further Education (now Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College), Teacher Training Division, she taught at the Cayon Primary School before receiving a World Bank/OECS Education Development Project Scholarship in 2003, which allowed her to pursue undergraduate studies.
Although Ms. Maitland is of the view that her training in Library and Information Science is neither recognized nor valued, she would like to encourage persons who are in search of a career path to consider the discipline, as there is need for locally trained persons in the field. Ms. Maitland returned to the Federation approximately seven weeks ago and is still awaiting job placement by the Ministry of Education.
