Memories of St Anthony's by Mr Narayanan Suppiah

Memories of St Anthony’s  (1947-1985)by Mr Nara       

   

Mr Nara (left) with lifelong friend Anthony Kee

 Full Name: Narayanan s/o Suppiah

Born: 5^th September 1939

Place of Birth: Lumut

1947 – Entered Primary Year 1 at St Anthony’s Primary School,Teluk Intan

1957- Completed Form 5 at SASTI

March 1959 - Joined the school staff at SASTI as a laboratory technician

1985 – Transferred to SMK Hutan Melintang

1994- Retired from the Government Education Service

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Interviewed by:   Louis Rozario Doss

Date: 23^rd March 2019

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Q Mr Nara, who among the several primary school teachers, would you like to talk about first?

Among  the first teachers who had a strong impression on me were the siblings, Miss Almeida , and her  brother ,Mr Bruno Almeida. They were both talented in academics,in music, and in sports. They took a personal interest in every student and we loved them for  making school life so open,so joyous and something to look forward to each day.Both of them were temporary teachers starting on their life’s career paths. Mr Bruno Almeida, was an old boy of our alma mater.He joined the police force and retired with distinction as the Chief Police Officer (CPD) of Penang State.

Q That first question is meant to jog your memories. Have you any other nuggets of the past for us?

Mr Teoh Boon Gim was a legendary figure as our Maths master. He was the only person in Malaya who could draw a circle with just one free hand – without the support of any mathematical instruments!

Q Tell us about your years in the science labs of SASTI.

I worked under and with some of the most remarkable personalities I have met. When I first joined the staff, I worked under Mr Tan Chin Huat, an Anthonian himself. He was the Head Laboratory Technician, the person who guided and trained me for my future role as the Head of the Anthonian laboratories. He was a truly dedicated officer who worked for the school all his life until the age of 55. When I took over as the Head of the Lab Staff, my mentor was another towering school figure, Mr Martin Yong. Under Mr Martin Yong, the science laboraties were reshaped and renovated for the new science-oriented world our school was moving into. The Chemistry and Physics labs were first created and designed by Mr Martin Yong. In 1959, the labs achieved the status of “pure science “ labs. This was another feather in the cap for the school, again made possible by Mr Martin Yong’s innovative leadership. Mr Yong also helmed the leadership of the St John Ambulance Brigade after the departure of Mr J.D. Weller. Our SJAM unit was among the best trained units in Malaya at that time. In 1961, Mr Martin Yong, was appointed as Head of the MOE's Post-Primary Continuation Programme for Lower Perak  based at SMK St Anthony. Later, he was based in SMK Raja Muda Musa which became the new base for the programme. Mr Ewe Teng Khoon was his successor as Head of the Science Department.

Q You worked under the shadow of Brother Damian, a great Biology teacher and Sub-Director of the School  before he became Director. What are your memories of Brother Damian?

Brother Damian Oliver,Director

Brother Damian  Oliver was a great inspiration to all Anthonians, and especially to our future doctors,biologists and, young scientists in general. He made the laboratories truly up-to-date in terms of apparatus and teaching charts to make the learning of science a thrilling experience.He was a spell-binding teacher. You could see the students totally mesmerized by his teaching style. He was a master at both narration and experimental demonstration. As sub-director and later Director of the school,he  also understood teachers and staff well and was compassionate towards them especially when they shouldered family responsibilities which required time-off from school.

Q What are your best memories of school life?

The two strands that stand out are my exploits as a Boy Scout and as a member of the St John Ambulance. As Boy Scouts, our troop went on trips and tours along the banks of the Perak River, into rubber estates and to Seri Muara -the river mouth where the Perak River reaches the sea. As a St John   member, I mastered the first aid skills and became a marching machine! We were on civic duty at many government functions.  I also enjoyed playing an array of sports ranging from athletics and hockey to rugby. I represented St Anthony’s in the Combined Schools Championships and was awarded schools colour in hockey and athletics. The teachers who were the prime movers behind our prowess in hockey and athletics were Mr Teoh Boon Jim and Mr Anthony Rogers. I also played cricket and football for the school. Under the care of Mr Boon Gim and Mr Rogers, we travelled to sports events in the world of our time- Ipoh,Tapah and Kampar.Among the star sportsmen among our seniors   were two of Mr Anthony Rogers’ brothers    Aloysius and Dairiam Pillay.They were both super athletes in their days. In later years(1960s-70S), Mr Anthony Rogers did his Ph D in English and rose  to eminence as Head of English in the Curriculum   Development Centre,Ministry of Education,Malaysia.      

Q   What other highlights of school life in the 1950s  in your estimation deserve to be remembered by all Anthonians?

I must mention three things. The whole school used to celebrate our victories in the Combined Schools events in Ipoh,Tapah and Kampar.

Brother Denis Hyland,Director 

Brother Denis, our Director, used  to  declare a half-holiday   to celebrate our victories on Mondays as our outings usually took place on the weekends. Few of us had telephones at home but news of our sports victories surprisingly used to reach the homes of Lower Perak even before we arrived back in Teluk Anson! How come? Without any internet-based social media? Another frequent cause of celebration at school was the athletic prowess of the Supreme Anthonian Quartet  - (Dr) Cheah Song Kang,Linus Pereira,Benedict Gomez   and Wong Seng Heng . This legendary relay team was the talk of Malayan schools in 1955 when they broke all national and state records in the 4 x110  yards . They were the glory of the Anthonian sports scene in the 19 55/56 years.  Thirdly, I remember Chan Looi Chong, an outstanding badminton star at school.He went on to become a National Badminton Coach in the 1960s.     

Q Would you like to pay a special tribute to any of your other teachers?

Yes, I remember Brother Aloysius, a 250-pound Irishman, who introduced rugby at our school. Although the sport did not take root at our school, we all enjoyed its brief spurt of life under Brother Aloysius.  Another colourful personality was Brother Patrick O’Connor who founded the Anthonian Military Band and was a pillar of the St John Ambulance Brigade.       

Q What are your unforgettable memories of your life and work at St Anthony’s?

I have two things I will never forget. For many years, I was not just in charge of the science labs.I was given a job not usually done by lab staff. This was the school timetable. I created and managed the timetable for more than twenty years. This brought me into the inner corridors of decision-making in the school – something I never really wanted for myself but was thrust upon me by circumstances. The second unforgettable event took place in 1967  - on school Sports Day. You won’t believe this. The teachers were all on strike – under the orders of the National Union of Teachers.This was a nationwide boycott of all extracurricular activities. Brother Damian,our Director, firmly decided that the Sports Day would go on as planned. The teachers were all there – purely as spectators  in the tents. The entire Sports Day was run by two of us from the labs – Mr Tan Chin Huat and myself. We were only assisted by the students. It was a great day for our Anthonian students to show that they are made of the best stuff in terms of leadership and enterprise.  Bravo,Anthonians!

Blogger Louis Rozario Doss did his Form 1 -3 years at SMK St Anthony,Teluk Intan.(1962-64)
He completed his secondary education at SMK St Michael,Ipoh. He was Principal
of SMK St Anthony (1996-1998) and went on to serve as Principal of SMK St Michael,Ipoh (1998-2005).
He is currently the Head of Sixth Form (CIE A Level) at Tenby International School,Ipoh.
HP 010-3905011 email:louisrozariodoss@yahoo.co.uk