Old Boys remember their teachers 

Teachers are the role models whose enduring influences shape our lives during our formative years. We appreciate and respect them for opening our minds and touching our hearts with devotion, inspiration and sacrifice.

We recently approached some of the older cohorts to share their experiences and thoughts on their teachers and there was no shortage of responses. Although more than half a century had gone by for the cohorts of the 50’s, many still remember their teachers vividly.

Former Olympian and Seow Poh Leng medallist, Dr M. Jegathesan (Class of 59/61) believes the main pillar of the ACS brand of education is without doubt the excellent teachers in ACS. According to him, “Our teachers taught us not only knowledge needed for passing exams (and passing well I might add), but also the tenets of acquiring high moral and ethical standards that stand us out in a crowd in whatever we do after leaving school. For that, I say a big thank you to all the selfless and devoted teachers we were fortunate to have in our time of need”.

For students in late 40’s and 50’s, Ms Bella Russel was the teacher who made an indelible impression for instilling in her students the sense of honour and what it stood for. Among the students she taught was the late Mr Earnest Lau who had this to say about her in his article “In Days of Yore” (ACS Echo, Oct-Nov 2009 issue): “Ms Russel taught English, and her proper English pronunciation and use of the language provided us with a valuable model, although the other teachers also spoke clearly and well”.

During this period, Mr Gurdial Singh was perhaps one of the most popular teachers with the students. Described as a ‘true blue gentleman’, Mr Singh would only wag his right index finger at recalcitrant boys and this was about the most physical act he would display. “Not once have I ever seen him lose his temper. If we were naughty, he would just display a bit of indignation and then go on to great lengths explaining why we should not repeat again”, Teo Hock Hye (Class of 57) recalls.

Dr Oliver Hennedige (Class of 59/61) is thankful to the late Mr Earnest Lau for touching his life and shaping his views of the present world. He said, “Mr Lau not only imparted knowledge but moral values which I still live up to, and which I put to good use to teach and guide my children and grandchildren”.

Pre and post war students would fondly remember the late Mr Chan Siew Jiang who was highly respected for his dynamic sense of dedication, integrity and inimitable style of teaching. He was also a wonderful parent at home bringing up his children. According to his son, Mr Chan Tiong Hin (Class of 59/61), “From childhood, Dad imbued in us values for living. For example, we were taught to make choices in a balanced and disciplined but wise manner. Yes, we could play but not at the expense of unfinished homework; we could eat more of what we like but not at the expense of what we didn’t like (like vegetables!); we could buy bigger toys for ourselves but that would mean exhausting our piggy bank and borrowing money was a no-no. The lessons on the need to balance these trade-offs have remained with us throughout our lifetime”.

In the fifties, punishments in schools were meted out in various ways, among them caning, pinching and even a tight slap. Most parents then did not disapprove of such punishment and are even thankful to teachers for disciplining their children when they go astray. But the students dreaded them … not for the punishment per se, but the aftermath at home should their parents come to know about their transgressions! And strange as it may seem, students bear no grudges against their teachers after being punished; some even have the nerve to talk about it and Albert Chan (Class of 57) was one of them. Sharing his experience of being punished by a teacher who was known for his penchant for slapping, Albert said: “I had the dubious distinction of being slapped by him 3 times ... once each term; to add to that, my late father had also been slapped by him. This gave our family the dubious distinction of two generations being slapped by the same teacher!”

We hear of how teachers influence and change lives but Mike Chan (Class of 59/61) shared with us how a teacher influenced him to change his name. His parents had named him “Mickey” – not after the famous cartoon rodent as many of his classmates thought, but after Mickey Rooney the popular Hollywood actor of the 50s. It did not bother him too much then when other kids ‘took the mickey out of him’ by associating him with Mickey Mouse. However, one of his teachers, Mr Lee Choon Ngee, pulled him aside one day to offer some advice. According to Mike, “Mr Lee reckoned that whilst “Mickey” is a cute name for kids, it may be a drawback when I grow up. It was only when I started work as an adult that I grasped the wisdom of his advice and promptly changed my name by deed poll to Mike Chan”.

Teaching is said to be the noblest profession as it creates all other professions. It is encouraging that ACS students are following in the footsteps of their mentors as you will read in the following pages. The respect and affection for teachers goes so deep that that some of them still remember their teachers on their death anniversaries. Such is the impact our beloved teachers have on us and we are truly grateful for their enduring influence.