Women in education: headmistresses reflect on decades of service to Guyana’s children

By Telesha Ramnarine

As the world observes International Women’s Day today, two of Guyana’s leading female educators say their decades in the classroom have been driven by a simple but powerful goal – that of making a difference in the lives of children.

Headmistresses Donna Lewis-Isles of Queen’s College and Shandrina Welcome-Lee of the Bishops’ High School have each spent more than three decades in education, rising through the ranks from teachers to leadership positions in some of the country’s most respected schools. Both of their stories, shared during interviews with Stabroek Weekend at their respective schools, reflect true dedication and a deep passion for the profession and their children.

For Lewis-Isles, she never doubted that becoming a teacher was going to become her reality. Born in Georgetown but raised in Bartica, she recalled that as a child she would “play school” at home, using chalk to mark names and calling out “present” and “absent” for imaginary students. “All my family members would tell me that as a child I used to beat all the blossoms off the plants,” she said with a laugh.