my tuition teacher is on the local press!!!
NEW STRAITS TIMES!!!!!
haha...and i got scolded by him evytime...he's a TOKOH GURU!!!
MY GAWF!!!! DAMN SAT LOH!!!!!...
so check this out!!!!!!!
M.P. Rangganathan, the 2003 “Tokoh Guru”, says it is depressing to watch students obsessed with bagging as many ‘As’ as they can.
MALACCA: For a non-Malay, 69-year-old M.P. Rangganathan's choice of career has been decidedly unconventional.
Resolving to devote his life to teaching the Malay language to other non-Malays at the height of World War II, Rangganathan became one of a rare breed of tutors inculcating a love of Bahasa Malaysia among non-native speakers at a time when its future -- not to mention the country's -- was in doubt.
Rangganathan's teaching endeavours were motivated by his own strong passion for the language -- a passion that overcame the war's numerous hardships, which included having to trek miles and miles daily just to reach teaching venues; and discrimination by parties who were not convinced of his qualification for the job.
But the Ujung Pasir resident's dedication was duly recognised. In 2003, Rangganathan was awarded the national "Tokoh Guru" title, to the delight of his many colleagues, students and family.
And despite officially retiring in 1994, the avuncular figure is far from resting on his laurels.
He continues to conduct Bahasa Malaysia classes at a private school here where he imbues yet another generation of students with a love for his beloved tongue.
Streets sat down with Rangganathan recently for a chat on his life and career.
Q: As a non-Malay teacher of the Malay language, were you well-received when you first started off?
A: Those days, in the 60s, there would be a stigma attached to a non-Malay teaching the Malay language. It took a couple of years for people to accept me. My credibility was questioned and my authority as a teacher was challenged, especially as at that time I was a temporary teacher without a degree qualification. I was placed in the low-achievers' classes, but my determination to teach and mould pupils into high-achievers started from there. That was when I decided to stay with teaching.
Q: Tell us about your educational background.
A: I received my early education at the Tranquerah English School (TES), now known as SK Tengkera, and that was a luxury not everyone was privileged to enjoy. My father, who saw the importance of English as a tool of social mobility at that time, insisted that I study in that school, although he was burdened by the fees of RM2.50, which was big money in those days. It took up 20 per cent of my father's pay. In fact, I had to find a job so I could afford to buy my own text and notebooks. I was a part-time kacang putih and milk vendor for a while.
Because TES was the feeder school for Malacca High School, I had to sit for an entrance exam before I could proceed to my secondary education. There was no tuition and reference books those days, only what we learnt in classes. After passing my OSC (now Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia), I decided to pursue my HSC (now Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia), as serving as a trainee teacher with only an OSC qualification was not good enough.
Deductions were made from my meagre salary for every day I took leave to sit for my exams. Then, I had to work by giving tuition classes for about a year before I stepped into University Malaya in 1967 to pursue my long-time dream of earning a degree in Malay studies. I started officially at SM Datuk Haji Talib Karim, and I was one of the fortunate few who made it back to teach at my alma mater, the Malacca High School.
Q: Tell us about your family.
A: My father was a general labourer at the Works Department (JKR) and my mother was a housewife. I married S. Jayalaxmi in 1972 and we were blessed with two daughters, R. Geetharani, who is now a successful lawyer in Kuala Lumpur, and R. Vanitharani, a bank executive, also in Kuala Lumpur. Other than that, I have a tabby with two kittens I take care of. The cats give me and my wife great company when our daughters are not here with us.
Q: What is the response to the tuition classes you give these days?
A: When I was working full time, I didn't enjoy much leave time, as the days were filled with Malay Language tuition slots for Form Four and SPM students.
Now, I have been advised not to have too many classes due to medical reasons. But my current classes are always full. And I'm proud to say that the passing rate of my students is never less than 90 per cent.
Q: What drives you to still teach at this age?
A: Once a teacher, always a teacher. Nothing makes a teacher happier than witnessing the success of his students. I have always strived for their academic welfare and I will continue to do so as long as I can.
Q: What do you think of the current education system and our present teachers?
A: I think many would agree with me that the current educational system is too exam-oriented. It is depressing to watch students obsessed with bagging as many As as they can to snare the prominent scholarships and the best courses in the universities. However, the incorporating of literature in the syllabus was an excellent idea, as the students can now appreciate the finer points of the language and they are more independent and better. But this is only for the high-achievers. As for the teachers, I urge them to focus on the low-achievers as well, because when they are "able to see a world in a grain of sand, and heaven in a wild flower", they would be able to bring out the "star" in each individual. It is part of our pledge when we take up the profession and it is still fresh in my mind. Hence, the reason I still teach and do what I can for students.
Q: When were you happiest as a teacher?
A: I was the happiest teacher when one of my most promising students, Poh Kee Cheng, became a journalist for an English language paper, after being inspired by writing numerous articles in the Malay language during his school days.
Q: How do you spend your leisure time, if you have any at all?
A: Well, I do not really have time for myself. My wife does the gardening to keep the yard beautiful with orchids. I water the plants. And I feed my kittens. I also write a lot. I wrote poems like "Usman Awang - The Poet of Humanity Speaks" and have written a few articles for local newspapers like "Malacca High - My Alma Mater" and "Panacea For Indiscipline In Schools".
Q: What is your advice to students?
A: They should keep in mind that "Poverty should not be made an excuse for your failure". They should always aim for the stars because, even if you cannot reach them, you might still be able to at least touch the sky.
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