(From left) Noel Chow, Victor Nesadurai, Albert Rozario, Mohd Idris Basri and Denis Armstrong in 1959. Photo: Ben Morais
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Teachers play an enormous role in not just teaching but also forming character in their students. The teacher who stood out in my schooling life at La Salle Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, was Denis Armstrong.
He started teaching when La Salle School Brickfields was established in 1954.
He was not an ordinary school teacher but played many roles. Armstrong was a versatile teacher, both in the field of sports and discipline.
In the field of athletics, he showed the athletes the proper way to run a race. He ensured that passing the baton in a relay race was executed with precise timing. He ensured victory in the races. Indeed, he built an esteemed team of athletes for the school.
Everyone had to be very careful in class when they saw Armstrong clenching his fist and walking along the corridor. He would not hesitate to cane anyone who was up to mischief, on the spot!
In the morning, if he caught any student watching him arriving at school on his scooter, or loitering around the area, that student would be in trouble.
Armstrong was also the senior administrator of the secondary school
In 1974, he left teaching and moved to the corporate world when he joined the Ericsson group of companies as a Quality Manager. He retired in 1988.
A recent photo of Denis Armstrong. Photo: Joseph B. Fernando
His fellow teacher Benedict Morais says Armstrong was widely regarded for two decades for being a strict disciplinarian and a legendary athletics coach. He carried out his duties with extraordinary dedication.
What many old boys do not know about him, however, is that Armstrong has been applying that same discipline to himself. He usually has only one meal – mostly comprising fish and vegetables – each day. His breakfast is light – basically mixed nuts and fruit.
Armstrong took up taekwondo in the mid-1960s under a Korean coach and subsequently achieved black belt status. He still maintains a daily exercise regime.
Here's what his former students have to say about him:
Johor-based social activist Siva Kumar describes Armstrong as a teacher with strong discipline and who was very strict. He wondered how many escaped being caned by him. Siva said after he was caned, he found it very difficult to sit for a week!
Businessman Lim Chee Loy describes Armstrong as an exemplary teacher who was dedicated to his work, not only in teaching but also in the field of sports.
School runner T. Prem Kumar remembers how Armstrong instilled a strong sense of commitment, discipline and achievement among the athletes. "Everyone had an opportunity to excel in sports."
Another school runner Julian Philip says, "He saw the potential in me when I was in Standard 3, and coached me to become an excellent athlete."
James Arul Samuel, who lives in Melbourne, Australia, describes Armstrong as a great coach, someone who spent his weekends coaching young students, "teaching them responsibilities and discipline".
Also, "he was a great mentor and role model for teenagers. He was very focused on us improving ourselves, which served me well. He also showed us how to deal with setbacks and disappointments.
"Last but not least, he taught me to be competitive and believe in myself. All these were great lessons which most of us carried forward in our lives."
With Armstrong, there was no room for compromise as far as punctuality, tidiness and hard work were concerned. The answer to rebels was the choice of canes.
Dr Micheal Tay Choon Hock remembers his first impression of Armstrong as being someone to be feared and avoided. "He was very strict and stern; he used his cane quite often. But looking back now, he meant well and wanted all of us to excel," says Tay.
Successful entrepreneur Yap Tuan Choy remarks that Armstrong's teaching style moulded him into the person that he is today.
Armstrong brought much discipline to the school. That's what he was all about.
Armstrong will turn 85 years old on April 30. We will sing the school anthem to him: "Cheer, cheer, courage display / All you La Sallians join in the fray / Send a volley of cheers on high / Shake down the thunder from the sky / What the odds be, great or small / Dear old La Sallians win overall / While loyal sons are marching onward to victory".
Joseph B. Fernando studied in La Salle Brickfields from 1963 till 1972.
