After almost three decades in education, St Mary’s Primary School principal Ramesh Singh has come to believe that the most important lessons a teacher leaves behind may not be found in a textbook at all.
A qualification may prepare someone to teach, but it is the classroom that teaches them how to become a teacher.
It is a distinction Singh understands after almost 30 years in education — years that have taken him from a young teacher finding his feet at St Mary’s Primary School in Merebank to leading the very school where his career began.
Following World Teachers’ Day, which was observed on Monday, 5 October, Singh’s journey reflects a profession that has changed considerably since he entered the classroom in 1996, while retaining one responsibility he believes should remain constant: putting the child first.
“Children may forget a particular lesson you taught them, but they will remember how you made them feel,” Singh said.
Although trained as a high school teacher, Singh was posted to St Mary’s as a 22-year-old after qualifying. It was a period of transformation in South African education, with schools opening their doors to pupils of different racial and cultural backgrounds.
Nearly three decades later, his understanding of teaching extends well beyond academic instruction.
“I’ve always believed that a happy pupil is a productive pupil. So, as a teacher, be the jester when they need to laugh, the counsellor when they need to talk, the doctor when they get hurt and the adviser when they lose their way. Sometimes, you have to be their everything.”
That philosophy has remained central as Singh moved through the ranks, becoming an acting Department Head during the Covid-19 pandemic, deputy principal in 2022 and later stepping into the principal’s office.
Leadership, however, broadened his understanding of what it takes to educate a child. A functioning school, he learnt, depends not only on what happens in classrooms, but on teachers, support staff, parents, governance, finances, infrastructure and the wider community working together.
Singh credits much of his leadership philosophy to former St Mary’s principal Roshan Ramdheen, whom he describes as his greatest mentor. Among the lessons Ramdheen imparted were to remain calm, work closely with the School Governing Body and, crucially, act when something needs to be done.
Today, Singh attempts to pass that culture of learning and mentorship on.
Even after almost 30 years, he believes teachers should never consider themselves finished products. At St Mary’s, teachers identify areas where they need development and support, while workshops, training and peer learning encourage staff to continually refine their craft.
“Identifying an area in which you can improve is not a weakness — it is part of being a professional. Even after 30 years in education, I am still learning. A qualification prepares you to teach, but the classroom will teach you how to become a teacher.”
Singh encourages aspiring teachers to observe experienced teachers without trying to imitate them. “Ask questions, accept constructive feedback and gradually discover your own classroom identity. But teaching, also requires understanding the child behind the marks,” he advised.
When academic performance begins to decline, Singh believes teachers should sometimes ask a different question first: “’Are you okay?’ A pupil may be dealing with bullying, financial hardship, difficulties at home, emotional challenges or a loss of confidence — realities that cannot simply be switched off when they enter a classroom. A school cannot solve every problem in a child’s life, but we can make sure that school does not become another problem,” he said.
It is this whole-child approach that has informed St Mary’s efforts to expand opportunities beyond academics, including sport, culture, chess, music and other activities, alongside remedial support for pupils experiencing academic difficulty.
It also comes against significant pressures facing schools. Singh pointed to funding constraints, staffing challenges and difficulties collecting school fees as realities that require schools to continually find solutions while ensuring pupils do not carry the consequences.
“My responsibility as a principal is to ensure that financial challenges do not become educational disadvantages for our children.”
For Singh, education is ultimately about possibility.
He wants pupils to leave school not merely having passed examinations, but with confidence, resilience, respect and an understanding that their circumstances need not determine their future.
He also wants the next generation of teachers to understand the weight of the profession they are entering.
“There will be difficult pupils, challenging parents, administrative pressures and days of self-doubt. But there will also be children who succeed because a teacher refused to give up on them. Sometimes one adult believing in a child at the right moment can change the direction of that child’s life. As educators, we should never underestimate the possibility that we might be that adult.”
And after almost three decades of teaching, mentoring and leading, Singh does not measure his contribution by the title outside his office.
The legacy, he believes, will always be people.
“If I can motivate a child to believe in themselves, inspire a young teacher to become an exceptional educator, support my staff to reach their potential and eventually leave St Mary’s stronger than I found it, then I will feel that I have made a meaningful contribution.”
After almost 30 years in education, Singh believes there is still more to learn, more to build and more young lives to shape.
“My journey is only beginning,” he concluded.
