Retired teacher looks back and sees changes…for the worse

May 26, 2014 News

Yabiram Ramlal, a/k “Ovid Ramlall”, who has chalked up 45 years as an educator with 34 of those years in a senior capacity says he would do it all over again. The 72-year-old who currently spends most of his time planting kitchen crops, is convinced that a teacher must always be “prepared” before he presents himself to his pupils.

Yabiram Ramlal, a/k “Ovid Ramlall”

Teaching, he said, is a skill that needs the primary initiation of patience and care in order to effectively nurture the young minds of pupils.
Ramlall spent ten years as head of the Foundation CPCE programme after he retired. He was to serve for an additional period at the Department of Education, in Essequibo and also as a tutor of multi-grade teaching for the training of multi grade teachers, nationally.
He began his teaching career at age 18. Throughout Ramlall’s teaching career, he taught at various Primary Schools on the Essequibo Coast and in the Pomeroon River. His principal mode of teaching was to spend meaningful time with his pupils, especially those pupils who were considered slow learners.
“I was a teacher who used to devote most of my energies to ensure that low achievers achieve eventually.”
Although Ramlall’s three children, who are all university graduates, didn’t struggle to learn, Ramlall said that as a result of his unique teaching skills combined with his objective of ensuring that his pupils excel, his children’s success are a typical testimony.
The former C.V. Nunes headmaster grew up at Golden Fleece Estate, on the Essequibo Coast. He explained that he drew inspiration to become a teacher from his uncle, Harry Prasad, who was also a teacher.
He began teaching at the then Ashram High School at Mortice, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, before returning to the Essequibo Coast where he taught at the Huist’ Diren Primary and later at the Fisher Primary School on the Essequibo Coast.
The dedicated teacher, during his professional years, was actively involved in Agriculture and bee-keeping. Ramlall said that for almost 20 years he was called upon to eradicate bee hives from especially Government buildings on the Essequibo Coast. Ramlall said he also had his own private bee hive for years.
Noting a strong change in the attitudes of our current teachers, primarily towards teaching, Ramlall said that in his days staff members were passionate about their pupils’ performance and took the time to assist that pupils to better their performances.
Today there is a new breed of younger teachers whose focus is on salaries, he said.
“Work is worship when you do it well.”
Ramlall, who today does extensive farming to supplement his retirement benefits, sells his produce at the Charity and Cottonfield markets. The health conscious former Anna Regina Primary School, now C.V. Nunes headmaster has been married to Vadwattie Ramlall for the last 48 years. The couple lives at Hampton Court, on the Essequibo Coast. (Yannason Duncan)