Agatha Jn Panel: “I don’t follow anyone blindly.”
One of the defining characteristics of someone from Laborie, a Laborian as they affectionately coined, is the strong community spirit. Agatha Jn Panel is a Laborie girl, born and raised, in every sense of the word.
On a trip to Laborie we surprised the woman who many call one of Laborie’s great architects. Her jaw dropped as we pulled into the driveway, she wondered who could be calling on her so early in the day, and on a weekday nonetheless! She welcomed us with open arms, ready and willing to assist which the STAR later learned is another quality people from Laborie exude.
Jn Panel has a long history in Laborie, especially with the Laborie Girls Primary School. Smiling she exclaimed heartily, “Laborie Girls has been my baby, is my baby and will always be my baby!”
Jn Panel first attended Laborie Girls during her girl days as the name suggests. After successfully completing her Common Entrance Exams, the manager of the school and her teacher recommended to the then Education Department for Jn Panel to become a Pupil Teacher. She was a Pupil Teacher One (PT1), sat exams graduated to PT2 and moved up to PT3, PT4. From there she graduated to Probationary Assistant One (PA1) and then moved on to PA2. From PA2 she sat an exam for her certificate and was lucky to get a chance to go overseas to study. In those days the options were Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua. Jn Panel attended Barbados’ Erdiston’s Teachers’ College in 1963.
She said: “That was the same year St Lucia Teachers’ College opened. I went to Teachers’ College with Minister Gaspard Charlemagne, Kenneth Combie, Lynnie Daniel who is now Lynnie Cazaubon, Paterson Toussaint and a host of other people.”
In her fruitful prime, Jn Panel returned to St Lucia and continued teaching. She told us: “I was made Acting Principal of Laborie Girls in 1968. I acted for quite a while, six years. In fact I got a little mad and I wrote to my board, the Catholic Board and told them I was tired of acting because my then principal had gone onto Canada to study and I knew from the grapevine she wasn’t coming back. The Archbishop responded to my letter and told me the board was pleased with my work at Laborie Girls but said the matter rested with the Education Department. He forwarded my letter to them. I received a letter soon afterwards confirming in my post as Principal of the Laborie Girls Primary School.”
There was a nostalgic glint in her eyes as she spoke of her years at Laborie Girls. Eagerly and proudly she boasted about her former school.
“I served as principal for over thirty years! I have turned out so many wonderful girls and I’m so proud of them. There is always this thing where people boast about who is the best school in the district, the best school in the south and who is the best school on island. That was never the first thing on my mind. All I wanted to do was turn out well rounded girls—girls who would take the place in society. When they went for the Common Entrance Exam, they may not have been the top student but I knew these girls would do well wherever they go. I am happy to say I have lived to see them attain the highest positions in the St Lucian society and elsewhere. To me, that is worth more than all the gold in the world.”
Her exuded joy as she continued to speak highly about the school and its students. “I used to tell my girls Laborie Girls must shine. Wherever you go, shine. I was so pleased after so many years of my retirement, I went to Canada about five years ago and I met a stranger at a wedding and the person told me ‘You are Agatha Jn Panel, Principal of Laborie Girls.’ I said I’m retired now. The person said to me ‘Oh! That’s where so-and-so got this thing from. Whatever she does she tries to give of her best. I asked her where she got that drive from and she said my principal told me that wherever I go, Laborie Girls must shine!”
Squealing with glee Jn Panel told me, “Child! That was like winning the lotto!”
Smiling she said softly, “When my girls meet me, it is so amazing to see the women they have become.”
Jn Panel’s contribution to her village did not stop after her retirement. In 2000, the St Lucia Labour Party, the ruling administration at the time, approached her to serve in the Senate.
Recollecting the experience she confessed, “To be honest, I was asked to serve and would you believe I wasn’t very keen at all because I know people like to brand you. True I have always supported the Labour Party, not blindly supporting them though. Their philosophy and their principles are something that I believe in. When I was asked I didn’t give an answer right away. Would you imagine, I spoke with someone who said to me ‘you are being called upon to serve in the highest capacity in your country, why not give it a try. I think you can make a contribution.”
She mulled over the decision for some time. After careful discussion with her children, Jn Panel agreed to serve. This Laborie girl is proud of her achievements in the Senate. For her, it was a decision based on being able to assist her community.
“I will do anything I can do first for my village, I’ll be honest with you, and second for my country. There is a guiding principle in teaching which says proceed from the known to the unknown. Therefore you start with where you are. You bloom where you are planted then you spread out your branches.”
Jn Panel admits she is not a politician in the traditional sense nor is she a party hack. She says, “I am a politician, in that I support what is fair, what is just, what is right and I support any initiative that betters my community, my country. That is the type of politician I am. If you are someone with your mind screwed in one way and you don’t see either side then I’m not for you. I will not be in your company at all. For this I got a flack because when I was a senator in the House I supported an opposition senator on a point that he made. Eyes were turning around.
“I didn’t care because he was saying something which was true therefore I supported him. I don’t follow anyone blindly. My father taught me, no man should ever give anyone a hundred percent support. Never. No matter how true the person is, my father told me always reserve a ten percent for yourself. This has been my guiding principle.”
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Thank you so much for doing a story on Teacher Agatha! She was my principal and I always remembering thinking that I had to be focused or else!..LOL..She is such an inspiration! Thank you for dedicating all these years to us Teacher Agatha! We Laborie girls will continue to shine always thanks to you:)
I don’t think I”ve had the pleasure of meeting Ms. JnPanel but she sure came across as someone who is comfortable in her skin, independent minded, and progressive in her thoughts and actions. These characteristics she tried to instill in her students.
Self confidence, strive to give of your best in all you do, and be proud of who you are and where you came from. These lessons she imparted are just as important as the three Rs. She taught her girls how to make a living and most importantly how to live.
Hats off to the Star for highlighting these unsung heroes while they are still with us so that we can show some appreciation for have served our country well and imparting that wisdom that our young people can benefit from.
I can identify with her and how she entered the teaching profession it pretty much mimicked mine and we both rose through the ranks by passing yearly promotion exams. (Telling my age)Talk about horrendous pay at the time but poverty was so prevalent that $98 a month as a PT2 was considered a lot. Lol!!
I am from Laborie and I know Mrs.Jn Panel. Even after retirement she is still active as are many others who worked at the school. Let it be known that Laborie is St.lucia’s best kept secret. A safe community with great people. When I come home I actually do not venture far from Laborie it has everything great views, nice bars, a nice beach plus location, location, location.
She has indeed set great standards for the young ones to aspire to…to surpass; political affiliation notwithstanding. As a proud Laborian, I embrace a fellow offspring. Thank you for gracing us with your dedication through the years.
A proud example of a model St Lucian, she could have left the island for personal gains, but choose to be a pillar of our community. On my last trip to St Lucia, I attended a community gathering @ the laborie square. There was an ongoing debate about arts and history; I must have gotten a complete history class about our fore fathers who first landed in any part of St Lucia. She speaks about mother Lucia with pride that you hear when Nelson Mandela, speaks about his love for South Africa. At a time when many St Lucian snow birds are retuning home to retire, from their more than prosperous life style abroad, with nothing to offer the youth of our growing nation. Miss Jn Panel reminds me of what it is to be St Lucian; she is a true ambassador of the Helen of the west.
Thanks Alisha for such a remarkable story. Miss Jn Paul and others like her have no doubt made a great contribution to the growth and developement of this nation.Though I never attended her school I will say a BIG THANK YOU MUM for your sevices.
CORRECTION; SERVICES
LABORIE HAVE PRODUCED SOME OUTSTANDING CITIZENS,DAME PEARLETTE LOUISY,SIR ALLAN LOUISY[RIP],RIC WAYNE AND THE LIST GOES ON.MRS AGATHA JNPANEL IS RIGHT UP THERE.THANKS FOR HIGHLIGHTING HER ACHIEVEMENTS AND GIVING HER THE RIGHTFUL PLACE IN OUR SOCIETY.
WE NEED TO DO MORE OF THAT SO THE YOUNG ONES GROWING UP WILL HAVE SOME OF OUR OWN TO USE AS ROLL MODELS INSTEAD OF LOOKING ON THE OUTSIDE.
You may not be aware that you are violating one of the basic netiquettes: Typing in all caps is shouting. And “role models”. Just for edification not criticism.
Mrs. Jn.Panel was my principal and a great inspiration to be. Indeed she always used to say, ” Laborie Girls must shine.” A great woman!
Love her or Hate her, Agatha Jn. Panel is a larger than life Laborian icon. Her morals and values have permeated through all in the community, boy,girl, woman and man. Never been shy to express herself, regardless of how unpopular that expression may be. I feel honored to have grown up in the community during the time when Mrs Jn. Panel was imparting her knowledge and experience on society. And I am also grateful to the Star for covering her while she is still around. In my own biased opinion, I think she stands head and shoulders above the rest, and is by far the most positively influential person in society.
Teacher Agatha as she was called. I would be the peron I am today without the principles she instilled in me during my time at the Laborie Girl’s. She is an amazing person, an inspiration and someone that definetly deserves being recognized. Thanks Mrs JnPanel. LABORIE GIRLS MUST SHINE!!
Thanks for highlighting “CHA AGATHA’ (short for Teacher Agatha..It is an honour to be from the ‘republic’ of Laborie and a product of LABORIE GIRLS. I love what she said about community first then country, and I believe that it what makes Laborians who they are. If everyone of us gave service about self like this icon, our corners of the world will be a better place. LABORIE GIRLS must shine!!
Teacher Agatha is and has been a great role model to us personally, for her it was never the money but the investments in lives, she saw them as valuable and precious. Thank you so much for impacting our lives and being a great woman of virtue. Laborie Girls must Shine!
The Eugene Sisters
There are individuals who are just A-CUT-ABOVE-THE-REST. Well that’s Mrs. Jn.Panel’s cateogory, there has never been one like her, don’t know if her shoes can ever be filled. Disciplinarian, role model, powerful resonating voice, a brain with a human-chip surpassing any computer-chip, a participant in every sphere of community life, Government, Education, Religious, Social, Commercial, the list goes on. Those who can boast of her are not those who attended Laborie Girls’, but persons like “MOI”, who were privileged not only to attend Lab-Girls’, but more so TEACH at Laborie Girls’, be on STAFF with her. That’s the “ICING ON MY CAKE” with Mrs. Jn.Panel right on the top.
Thanks…
Part 2.
We love you, Mrs. Jn.Panel, Meretta, T-cher Agatha, Merretta, Ma Garbooo.