Remarkable educator, Kashwar Ramnauth, is a ‘Special Person’

May 10, 2020 News, Special Person

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By Malisa Player-Harry

When the name Kashwar Ramnauth is mentioned in Rose Hall, way up in Corentyne, Berbice, it can easily trigger a tsunami of positive vibes. This is owing to the fact that for the 59 years he has graced earth with his presence, he has in many ways been a source of upliftment to many people, myself included.

Under his tutelage, I’ve learnt many lessons that have helped to prepare me for life’s journey, a sentiment echoed by many across the Ancient County.
Learning from someone like ‘Sir Ramnauth’, who has an appreciation for the simple things in life, is certainly a privilege. It is therefore understandable that he has been chosen, though belatedly, to be name a ‘Special Person’ within these pages.
Reflecting on his past recently, ‘Sir Ramnauth’ recalled growing up in the township of Rose Hall at a time when the roads were not paved and potable water could only be accessed through standpipes located at the main streets.
But such circumstances did not stop him from elevating himself in order to become an outstanding educator and later a Minister of God. The latter forte, he embraces with pride. His life-long aim was to always contribute to society in a meaningful way, and, indeed, today his life is testimony to that accomplishment.
Born on April 23, 1961, ‘Sir Ramnauth’ grew up in a modest home where his parents worked hard to take care of him and his six siblings. His mother was a housewife and his father, a cane-cutter, sometimes braved gruelling heat and treacherous rainfalls, so that he could provide for them.
His parents are now deceased, but their teachings of the importance of always being loving and caring have been the pillars of his life. Because of them, he said, he was able to stand tall over the years.
But this did not prevent daunting challenges from coming his way. In fact, during his interview with me, he spoke of how losing one of his siblings impacted his life tremendously. ‘Sir Ramnauth’ is the eldest boy but third of the seven children born to his parents’ union. “Difficult” is how he described the passing of his brother in the year 1997. But he was comforted by his other siblings who reminded him that he was in a better place shining his wonderous light upon him and the family.
FOUNDATION
As a boy, ‘Sir Ramnauth’ attended the Rose Hall Church of Scotland Primary now the Rose Hall Town Primary School. There, he continued to build on the knowledge his parents imparted to him. He wrote the Common Entrance Examination in 1972 and secured a place at the Lower Corentyne Government Secondary School (LCGSS). It was there he completed his secondary education a few years later after writing the GCE O’ Levels. He remembers enjoying and participating in cricket, volleyball and badminton; sports he loves to this day, he confessed.

After leaving school, he immediately wanted to venture into the world of work to earn a living and garner experience. But according to ‘Sir Ramnauth’, “much was not available then and so the only and first choice was teaching.” Teaching would turn out to be a 22-year long profession for him.
He started out teaching at the very primary school he attended, Rose Hall Town Primary, at the age of 17 years and nine months. He’d continue to teach there until 1981. In 1994, he began teaching at the J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School (JCCSS) and spent the majority of his teaching career there. ‘Sir Ramnauth’ taught English Literature and English Language; he also as the Head of Department for English for eight years up until he retired in 2016.
But his value as an educator is still evident. He spoke of recently signing a contract with the Ministry of Education as a Mathematics Monitor for Primary Schools. In this latest capacity, he visits schools and provides guidance and advice to teachers to further help their pupils in the Mathematics subject area.
RELIGIOUS LIFE
Although this Cyril Potter of Education graduate (2001) proved himself to be an outstanding teacher over the years, moulding many lives for the world of work, his teaching profession did not consume his life. He was able to find the time to be a Minister of Religion attached to the Church of the Nazarene International. In fact, he was stationed in Rose Hall Town for many years as he helped to share the gospel to many.

To aid this calling, he pursued studies and graduated with a Bachelor of Theology from the Canadian Nazarene College, an undertaking facilitated by the Caribbean Nazarene Theological College in Trinidad in 1989.
Although he’d decided to bring the curtains down on his teaching career, he hasn’t done so in his religious life as he continues to serve as a pastor.
But even with a packed schedule, this phenomenal ‘son of the soil’ exists with such grace that he continues to be admired by many persons who he helped to develop into outstanding human beings. “I love people and wanted to make a difference in their lives. I grew up in a poor family and know what it was to struggle to obtain a decent education. In fact, I was the only child in the family who was able to attend a secondary school. So, I wanted to give back to the community which helped to mould me. I wanted to invest in the lives of children to help them to be somebody who would make a difference,” he shared.
But he could’ve left it all behind years ago as there were opportunities aplenty for him to migrate and utilise his knowledge and skills overseas. But according to ‘Sir Ramnauth’, “my heart was always for my country.”
Since he felt he was needed home more than abroad, it fuelled his desire to “give my best to the country of my birth”. It was a decision, he said, that helped to make a major difference.

Some of those he influenced for the better describe him as “a cool person” and “a man of God”. Deborah Kanayah-Cort, for instance, said she attended his “Sunday School” when she was younger. She was also taught by him when she attended JCCSS.
“He has been a great mentor to me. He is very encouraging, helpful, caring and melodious; he has a song for everything,” she intoned with a gleeful smile. Now a teacher herself at JCCSS, she confided, “he was the one that got me into teaching. He went to market one day and my mom asked him if he ain’t got work for me to do and he told her, yes, plenty.”
“The following Monday, I received a call from school, and I called two more of my friends (Anitra and Fauzia) to join me, and so we volunteered and then later got through with jobs,” Kanayah-Cort said. According to her, too, “‘Sir Ramnauth’ is the true definition of the term ‘down-to-earth’ and once he sets his mind to achieve something, he always does.”
In a grateful tone, she related that it was ‘Sir Ramnauth who taught her to believe in herself and the Almighty.
As she spoke of his endearing attributes, she recalled that the day of his retirement was a sad one. “He is still missed at work,” she quipped. Staffers, herself included, had planned a retirement/birthday celebration for him as a way of showing their appreciation for him.

ALWAYS ON THE GO
Meanwhile, ‘Sir Ramnauth’ continues to be especially busy. According to him, on a typical day, he tries to complete as many tasks as possible. During his years as a teacher, and now as a Math Coach, he said that it is routine for him to wake by 6am daily and be out of the house by 8am since work for him usually starts at 8:30am and ends at 3pm.
After completing his relevant work, he retreats to his home, where he also has his church. He ensures that he makes quality time for his family, which includes his wife, Kushwattie called Murene and his two daughters Michelle M. Ramnauth (also a teacher at the same JCCSS) and Rosemari R. Ramnauth, who completed her secondary education in 2018.
‘Sir Ramnauth’ is of the firm belief that setting priorities, including time for God, job and family, is the key to a successful existence. “Also family helps, they tell you what you need to do,” he added amidst a chuckle. His greatest achievement to date “is to see the ones in whom I have invested my life in become successful and make a good life for themselves and family”.
He, moreover, implores the younger generation to “take life seriously, stay in school and get a good education. Be committed to what you do, set goals, work hard to achieve them and put God first in your life.” And to those aspiring to become a teacher one day, he made it clear that “teaching is the womb from which all other professions are birthed”.

“Take life seriously, stay in school and get a good education. Be committed to what you do, set goals, work hard to achieve them and put God first in your life.”

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