The writer’s last stop along his teaching journey was SMK Methodist (ACS) Klang. Photo: Thiagan Mathiaparanam
Universiti Malaya is the pride of our country, with its long history and tradition.
I got to experience life in this prestigious university when I pursued my Diploma in Education in 1979. Though it was only an eight-month course, I can proudly say that I too studied in Universiti Malaya at one time.
Dr Chiam Heng Keng, who was my mentor at that time, was a source of inspiration and guidance, especially during my teaching practice in La Salle School, Petaling Jaya.
Upon successfully completing the course and becoming a full-fledged teacher, my career took flight on Jan 7, 1980. For five memorable years, I served in SMK Mahmud, Raub. It was the best stint of my life as a teacher.
Naturally, being a fresh graduate teacher, life was less stressful as the responsibility was less then, although I had my normal share of the workload.
The only problem that I encountered was that the medium of instruction was Bahasa Malaysia. Being English-educated, I had problems initially teaching Chemistry in BM. But, after a while, it was manageable.
During my leisure time, I tried to revive the game of cricket in Raub with another cricket enthusiast, Sivarajan.
We managed to rope in some ex-Mahmudians, some former state players, and a few who had an interest in the game.
Slowly but surely, we got the ball rolling. We soon got to play social cricket with teams like Petaling Jaya Club, Commonwealth Diplomats and team New Straits Times. We all had a marvellous time.
Teaching in SMK Mahmud was very fulfilling as the students were generally well-behaved and rarely gave any disciplinary problems.
My fifth year of teaching, 1984, was the best of it all as I finally got to be the form teacher of the top science class, 4 Science Merah. It was a joy teaching them.
My only regret was that I couldn’t follow up with them through to Form 5, as due to personal reasons, I had to request for a transfer.
My journey as a teacher then led me to SMK Tengku Idris Shah, Kapar, a small town in the outskirts of Klang, in 1985. The school had a completely contrasting culture to my former school in Raub. It took me a while to get adjusted to life as a teacher in this school.
Teaching was a challenge at this school as the students came from a rural background.
Well, as teachers, we need to adapt to the surroundings to survive.
The principal of the school at that time was a no-nonsense disciplinarian. There was pin-drop silence in the school at all times. Even some of the teachers were under stress.
A couple of months after I joined the school, the principal left and moved on to Klang High School.
As the years went by, all the girls moved out from SMK Tengku Idris Shah to a new school built a short distance away. So it became an all-boys school, and discipline took a nosedive. It became a feared school to step foot into.
During my tenure there, the school did produce some exceptional students who brought glory to the school, like Munusamy, who went on to represent Malaysia in long-distance running.
Special mention goes to Tan Ai Ling, a bright spark who excelled in all subjects. She was my Chemistry student, and her answering of exam questions was near perfect. She went on to study medicine in a local university, and is presently a practising doctor in Klang. Bravo!
For a good 20-odd years – from 1985 to early 2005 – I taught in SMK Tengku Idris Shah, and was the head of the science department.
During my 21st year there, I was given the symbolic “key to freedom”, just like on one’s 21st birthday. The staff and students gave me a grand farewell.
I was then transferred to SMK Methodist (ACS) Klang as the head of the academic division. Teaching there was a totally different experience altogether.
Being the senior assistant was a very responsible post. The welfare and administration of the staff was under my purview. As the senior assistant, I was advisor as well as guidance personnel to them, a role unfamiliar to me.
With ACS being a mission school, I had to work with the Board of Governors and the Old Boys’ Association, in addition to the District Education Office. Since I was the interim principal on many occasions, the task was all the more daunting.
Picking up the pieces when the chips are down and gritting one’s teeth was nothing new to me as one had to face reality when one is at the helm.
Since I held an administrative post, I did less teaching but I still taught Chemistry. The medium of instruction had come full circle by then, and I got to teach the subject in English.
My last 10 years in ACS were memorable in a different way, just as the song by Ray Stevens goes: Everything is beautiful in its own way.
It was curtains down in November 2014, after serving the education sector for a good 35 years. I parted company with the school in a simple (as requested by me) but cherished send-off.
Stop press: It’s heartwarming to know that my batch of 4 Science Merah students (from SMK Mahmud, Raub, 1984) tracked me down after 38 long years, thanks to Heart & Soul. This was the best present that a teacher could ask for.
