Denise Reid, STAR Writer

Sydney Haye Finnikin - Denise Reid

WESTERN BUREAU

With more than 45 years as an educator and two national nominations, Sydney Haye Finnikin, who will be 93 on September 30, had all but lost hope of gaining the prime minister's award for service to education.

This year though, Finnikin, more popularly known as 'Teacher Finnikin', was named as a recipient of the prestigious award.

"I understand God's business in that if you are deserving of glory and honour of any kind of prize, it can't be too late by God's plan," said Finnikin, adding that this award will serve to show others that it pays to live and serve your fellow men.

Mentally alert

Although he suffered a stroke a year ago, he is still mentally alert and speaks with a voice that commands attention. In fact, his only encumbrances are what he describes as a heavy left leg coupled with a problem of frequent urination.

Among his achievements are the founding of the Content Community Centre and the Adelphi Consultative Day-Care Centre. He has also authored three books, which are now out of print.

Having worked in nine schools and acted as the first supervisor and manager of the Adelphi Skills Training Centre, Teacher Finnikin is humble in the face of his achievements.

" I can't forget how with the help of the people, I took 13 weeks and made a road 13 chains long from the main road up to the first school that I was principal for," he said.

Teacher Finnikin added that it was a joy to know that he has played a part in educating some prominent members of society, which include retired deputy commissioner of police Noel Eldridge and former Chief Justice Lensley Wolfe.

Comparing his days as a teacher to the conditions teachers face in the classroom today, he said: "Discipline is in a terrible situation. Moral living with students, parents and relatives can't be compared to then, when children were caring and loving."

Fierce Jamaicans

"A new Jamaica is emerging, and it is one that is showing a kind of fierceness and animosity," said Teacher Finnikin, who cited as an example the fact that many big boys approach female teachers and are bold enough to want to make approaches of a sexual kind.

A steadfast Christian, the retired educator believes that the teaching of memory gems should be reintroduced into schools. Reciting a memory gem he learnt in school, he said, "consider the world a hill, lad, look where the millions stop. There's always a crowd at the base, lad, but an empty space at the top".

"Memory gems have a certain quality, and because of that, when you teach students memory gems, it uplifts them."

According to Finnikin, if teachers are to be effective, they must have love and respect for humanity. He emphasised that it is important for Christians to be God-fearing in order to have the patience to know how to forgive and teach children to forgive one another.

"Somehow, I feel male students have a feeling of rating women as inferior material and disobey quickly and do not show enough respect. But they have a respectful type of fear for the male hence better behaviour. So we need far more males."

He believes that the government ought to give incentives to encourage more men to become teachers and keep them in the profession.

These days, Teacher Finnikin spends most of his time at home, keeping his mind active by solving crossword puzzles, reading the Bible and a book called Streams in the Desert. Since 1999, he has spent much of his time delving into herbal remedies.