Charlemont VP dies; 7th educator dead in days
Main Feature News

Charlemont VP dies; 7th educator dead in days

IMG 20220518 WA0002
Charlemont VP dies; 7th educator dead in days
Jennifer Gidden (Contributed photo)

The Education sector continues to reel from a series of deaths, with the latest death occurring on Wednesday morning. 

Jennifer Gidden, the Vice Principal of Charlemont High School in St  Catherine, died while her son was transporting her to hospital.

Gidden was ill for sometime. She was to retire as an educator in December this year.

Gidden is the seventh educator to have died locally. 

In the previous seven days, six others across the country died.

They are: 

1. Gregory Williams, Mathematics Lecturer at the Portmore Community College, who died on May 11

2. Antoinette Banton-Ellis, Principal of the Vere Technical High School, who died last Thursday, May 12

3. Ann Marie Johnson Lindo, Vice Principal of the Duncans All-Age School in Trelawny who died on Friday, May 13

4. Carlos Gordon, a Grade 6 teacher of One Way Prep School in Kingston who passed on Saturday, May 14

5. Donnalee Wright, of the Tarrant High School in St Andrew who passed away on Monday, May 16 

6. Another educator from Edwin Allen.

President of the Jamaica Teachers Association (JTA), Winston Smith, says most of the cases were sudden deaths.

He also expressed concern about the conditions educators are subjected to work under. 

He has encouraged the teachers to take care of themselves as they seek to carry out their duties.