SMK Mantin English teacher retires
AFTER 36 glorious years of service, SMK Mantin, Negri Sembilan, English teacher Sivakumara Govindasamy, 60, has retired.
Born in Melaka in 1960, Sivakumara received his primary schooling at Sekolah Rendah Inggeris Ledang in 1967 and secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Inggeris Ledang (1973-1977), both in Tangkak, Johor.
After that, he studied English Studies and Geography at Maktab Perguruan Mohd Khalid, Johor Baru, followed by his degree in Teaching English as a Second Language at Universiti Putra Malaysia in 1999.
Sivakumara served in two schools throughout his teaching career. First, he was an English teacher in SMK Sungai Tapang, Kuching, Sarawak, from 1984 to 1989.
He then served in SMK Mantin for 29 years, until his recent retirement this year. Along the way, he was recognised with an Excellence Service Award in 2002 for his dedication.
For his retirement celebration,
a special gathering was held in the school hall where he cut his farewell cake on stage and received gifts from teachers and students.
The school principal Zahari Long, in a press release, thanked Sivakumara for his excellent service in education.
Elankovan, a History teacher in SMK Mantin, describes Sivakumara as a very humble and soft spoken teacher.
Another colleague, Ng Siew Tin said: “Sivakumara is a calm person who gets on well with colleagues.”
As for Form Four student Mandy Yap Jun Min, he was her favourite teacher.
“He is a thoughtful and excellent English teacher,” she shared.
Sivakumara said his fondest memories revolved around seeing his students pass their examinations with flying colours.
“My advice for students is to always pay attention in class and respect your teachers.
“For those who aspire to pursue teaching as a career, my advice is to be very patient as you will face students from all walks of life,” he said, adding that his retirement plans involve travelling overseas to visit a few countries.