This Teachers’ Day I would like to thank my many teachers who have influenced me one way or another. It saddens me that some of them are no longer with us. Their good work will be remembered. I am glad that I had taken time to say thank you and keep in touch with some of them.
I seem to be in the time of my life when I can reminiscent. So I will. I remember my first Teachers’ Day as a student. We were in Form Five. As one of the class leaders, I suggested we buy flowers for our Form teacher (who was also our English Language teacher) and my favourite literature teacher. It was the first year Teachers’ Day was celebrated in our school. As not many classes had bought gifts, let alone flowers for their teachers, Mrs. Tan (she passed away a few years later) and Ms. Siew Moo Lan were quite ecstatic to receive bouquets of flowers from their naughty boys. We were so proud to see their joyful faces.I don’t remember any other Teachers’ Day celebration after that. The next time I was involved in a Teachers’ Day celebration, I had become a teacher myself, almost 7 years later. That is another chapter in my life which I won’t go into this time. We do need to celebrate our teachers. They deserve it. Even those who weren’t wonderful, they taught us what we shouldn’t be. I have been blessed with many many wonderful teachers. Without offending any I would like to mention just a few. Among the teachers who come dear to me: First, the late Professor Lloyd Fernando. He was a wonderful lecturer who became a friend and an inspiration. Second, Prof. Hyacinth Gaudart, a wonderful and fun teacher, now a very dear friend and mentor. Third, Salleh ben Joned! Yes, it was quite an experience being his student. He has no peers. These were my teachers at the University of Malaya. My gratitude and friendship with my doctoral supervisor Prof. Ron Carter is immeasurable. He is a fabulous person.
I also would like to remember my teachers at school. Mdm Law; (she taught me in Primary 1 and scared the hell out of me; Mr. Yap Seng Choy, he had some strange ways of disciplining us; Mrs. Nathan, she was ever so maternal and kind; Mr. Wong Tuck Cheong, my Form 1 teacher whose reading passage encouraged me to read ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’; Mr. Isaac Perumal, Mr. Nadarajah (math teacher who made it clear I should forget about maths and stick to English), Mrs. Michio Tan, Mrs. Ti, Mrs. Moorthy (she did not teach me but lent me her history notes) …. There are many more … and despite my Gingko tablets I seem to forget their names. So this year, let us not forget our teachers who made us what we are. A special word of thanks to all my students who have also been my teachers and are now teachers themselves to others. God bless! Don’t lose heart. Keep the passion alive.
Edwin