From Schooling To Teaching

His strong desire to be educated in an English school made him take an arduous journey to Temoh where he met his only available relative, cousin Samsuddin. He knew that his cousin would be able to help him get to school as he was working as a Forest Ranger there.  Temoh , was then a tiny village by the railroad located between Kampar and Tapah. It must have taken him a couple of days to arrive there from Kg Menora.

Unfortunately, there weren't any English schools in Temoh. The only school that teaches some English  was a Tamil school. Although he felt despaired but was excited to go to school. Barefooted and with little belongings he was enrolled into Standard One in that Tamil School. All the subjects were taught in Tamil except English. Here was where he got his first English lesson.

Living with a cousin much older than him wasn't at all that smooth sailing. He practically had to do all the household chores before and after school as his cousin brother was then a bachelor. He did his best as he was totally dependent on his cousin for his daily survival. He lived there for a year or so and had always felt that there was a better school else where.  He then found out that English schools were only available in Ipoh, Taiping and Kuala Kangsar. So the nearest to Temoh would be a school in Ipoh. Going to such school was just his dream.

By sheer luck in one morning in early 1913, his father who was in Temoh at that time had asked a Sikh boy by the name of Pakki Singh to bring him to a his school in Ipoh. He went along with Pakki Singh to school in Ipoh by train.  To his surprise, he found out that it was Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh. His dream had become a reality.  He then enrolled himself into Std III at the Anglo Chinese School, Ipoh which was about an hours train ride from Temoh. At this school all the subjects were taught in English. He was so delighted and had studied very hard.  On that same year he got double promotion by passing in the same year 2 examinations. He was promoted from Std III to Std V.

In 1918, he passed the School Final Examination for Std VII (which is equivalent to the fomer LCE or today's PMR). During that time, due to the fact that both his parents had died he had great difficulty in paying the $2 monthly school fee.

Being such a determined and courageous schoolboy, he personally wrote a letter to the Principal, Rev W.E. Horley and handed the letter personally. The Principal was very impressed with his letter, particularly on his command of the English language and his sincere determination to excel in his studies. The Principal immediately granted him a free scholar. Much to his happiness he continued his studies in Std VI and Std VII and had vowed that one day he would return the kind guesture to ACS.

When he was in Std VII, a kind Chinese philanthropist had contributed $60 per year scholarship - to be given out $15 every quarter to the best pupil in Std VII. With sheer determination and hard work, he was awarded the scholarship every quarter, throughout the year.

At the year end of 1918, he sat for the Normal Class Examination to become a teacher as to continue schooling to Junior and Senior Cambridge would mean a greater financial burden to him. Normal Clas was conducted on weekends at the Anderson School, Ipoh. I remember he mentioning the name Rev S.S. Pakianathan, who was the Headmaster of ACS Teluk Anson at that time was his colleague in the Normal Class.

His Teaching Certificate

Soon after passing the Normal Class Examination, he served as a teacher in ACS Ipoh with a salary of $31.50 per month. Being enterprising, he made extra income by giving Malay language tuition to Europeans and American who were residing in Ipoh.

He had now fulfilled his solemn vow to serve the school in return of the kind gesture of the Principal and Founder of Anglo Chinese School,  Rev W.E. Horley.