Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

Adelle Brown, chief education officer, departing the Jamaica Conference Centre, downtown Kingston, last month after an address by Education Minister Maxine Henry-Wilson to the Jamaica Association of Education Officers. - Junior Dowie/Staff Photographer

After serving the sector for 40 years, Adelle Brown, chief education officer in the the Ministry of Education and Youth, retired yesterday.

Jasper Lawrence, deputy chief education officer, will replace her.

"I am happy that I am retiring in a personal way but, as the chief of all education officers, I am regretting that I am not going to be there at the modernisation (of the education system) to see how they fare," Mrs. Brown told The Gleaner on Wednesday.

"I am pretty satisfied that I did my best and I have had some solid achievements," she added.

In 2004, Mrs. Brown was appointed as Acting Chief Education Officer and was appointed as chief last year.

She told The Gleaner that one of her main challenges while at the ministry was a lack of resources.

"There were always resource issues. Things needed to get done and the money was sometimes not available but I think we have made some strides," she said.

Mrs. Brown added that one of her achievements was an improvement in the literacy level of students. She noted the first Grade Four Literacy Test revealed that only 48 per cent of the students attained 'mastery'. The last result, she pointed out, showed that some 60 per cent had mastered literacy.

"My hope was to have 80 per cent of them at 'mastery', so on retirement I am sad that we have not attained, that but I am glad that we have moved from 48 to 60," she said.

Her early years

Mrs. Brown began her teaching career at Drews Avenue Primary School and has served several other primary and secondary schools. This she did for 15 years before joining the Education Ministry in 1981 as an education officer for social studies in the core curriculum unit.

She was then promoted to Senior Education Officer for the same unit and, in 1991, became the first head of the Professional Development Unit. She was also the head of the tertiary unit and deputy chief education officer for curriculum and support.

Mrs. Brown, who will turn 60 next February, said she will take a long rest before resuming another passion, writing books for young children.