?There are two teachers who have really impressed me during my schooling experience. The first was in my early teenage years and the other was during my final years of secondary school. But, before naming and describing them, I will first pay tribute to some other teachers, whom I still believe have play a part in making me the man I am today.

Just to situate the context, I was at Royal College of Port-Louis as from 1953. Coincidentally, the college was celebrating its 25th anniversary that year. In those days, there were the likes of Cassam Utteem, Bhinod Bacha, Abu Kasenally, Rancoo Cundassamy and some others who are now occupying various high positions in our society.

One of the teachers, whom I would like to salute, is one of my literature teachers, Georges Telescourt, who told us that literature was a ?slice of life? before everything. One of the things that was extraordinary with him was that he knew how to develop our techniques of research at a very young age. Then, there was a woman by the name of Mrs. Martial who was our music teacher. She is the one who taught me how to appreciate good music, especially good classical music. Another teacher, who really had an influence in my life, was Baron Burenchobay. I remember very well his explanation of the Russians sending a Spoutnik in space by applying our knowledge of centrifugal force in mechanics!

The first teacher, whom I would like to pay a vibrant tribute to, was the one who really motivated my interest in reading. His name was Roland Florent. He was my teacher for English and French in Form I. As a real pedagogue, he knew that we were ?virgin? in mastering languages, so he showed us how useful reading would be to us. Moreover, he taught me speed reading in reader?s digest book and vocabulary building by having my side dictionaries.

The last teacher whom I considered as a real Master of Science was Mr. Kistoe. He was my teacher for physics. He was explaining his subject so well and so easily that all the students and I were stupefied. When he left the college, he went to London to take his PhD in light. Funnily enough, today when I recall time and think about him, I consider him as having been a ?light? in my educational experience. As a result, it is thanks to him that I developed such a passion for photography. Indeed in his spare time, he would show some other classmates and myself how to take good artistic pictures.

He knew how to arouse this passion for reading in us. He gave us this desire to keep discovering. Later on, I came to realize that what he was doing was broadening our horizons. In fact, he was trying to inculcate into us this dictum: ?You are young, life is yours!? As far as I remember, the whole Kistoe family was very bright. As a matter of fact, although things were not situated in a very racial context in those days, his sister was the first Hindu girl to be laureate. But, coming back to Mr. Kistoe himself, I must say that he was incredible and very appreciated by his students. I believe that the teachers I have named are real models for teaching. I consider myself very lucky to have come across such people.

For me, a good teacher is one who can inculcate this notion of interest and curiosity within his students. Many teachers often tell the students what are written in books. But, if a teacher can start from the bottom of things and teach a student in his own way, then he is a good teacher. Each subject has its own way of being taught. The teacher should start by adopting a micro approach and then continue with a macro approach.