<B>?You can always bounce back to become a better person?</B>

?I would like to begin by saying that partly because of the fact that I was the eldest of the family due to the demise of an elder brother and of an elder sister just after their birth, I had a very over-protected childhood. To a large extent, emotions override rational thinking. I mean, I was not allowed to do things that other boys of my age were allowed to do. There was always the fear that I would have an accident. I recall when I had to attend pre-primary school, I was sent to a school directed by a family friend. Even over there, I could feel the overprotective arms of my family around me. At that time, education was all about rote learning. There was nothing in it that would give you the opportunity to have a wider horizon and help you to develop cognitively. Sadly enough, the same pattern was maintained for primary education. But I will remember the primary school for one or two reasons. For example, when I was there, I still remember the short distance between the school and my home. I could literally run there. Then I recall very well how eagerly I looked forward to the so-called PE hours to play ?Colin Maillard?. I also remember that at that time, if you did well in your core subjects, you would be allowed to go home early; otherwise, you would have to stay behind. Although this upset me, thanks to the extra coaching I got to know the headmaster?s attitude better.

This headmaster by the name of Mr Philipe, would instill discipline in us and helped me slowly forge my character. He would convey that being good meant to be neat and tidy. I still remember that we had to bring our mugs to school and Mr Philipe would do his best to see that we had our daily intake of milk and our bread with cheese. In addition to this, we had one vitamin capsule.

When I had to do my junior scholarship (la petite bourse), I had a teacher called Mr Abdool. He was a fine teacher, who managed to impart to me the pleasure of writing and reading. Despite his tremendous efforts, it was all rote learning. The usual way of helping us to broaden our minds was to go on an outing, an occasion which we all used to cherish.

Contrary to what people might think, I did not have an easy childhood. Indeed, I have to concede that I had some setbacks on both the academic and the social levels. On the academic level, I was certainly not a role model. When, I did my junior scholarship, I was coached along with my cousins by my uncle Bhoomitre Boolell, who was a tremendous help for me. He gave tuition to us on Saturdays from 1 p.m. till 6 p.m., while my aunt would cook some food for us. He was really strict. He would slap me behind the ears whenever I did not work well. He always reminded me that my chances of getting the scholarship were not great. When the scholarship results came out I could sense the disappointment of my parents despite the fact that they knew my chances of winning the scholarship were slim. As a result, I began developing an inferiority complex towards the other members of my family who got through that exam. When I obtained a place at St Mary?s College I felt elated. When I arrived there, largely thanks to Mr Abdool and my uncle, I felt prepared to face the harsher world of education. Indeed, they instilled in me the value of being disciplined, and the importance of showing respect to our teachers and to our peers. As a result, I realized that despite my average academic performance, I managed to bounce back from my setbacks and become a better person, due to my desire to succeed and the belief I had. How can I forget the support given to me by Mr Philipe, Mr Abdool my uncle and my grand-mother, who always believed strongly in me.

To conclude, I would like to say that teaching is a very noble profession. It should remain this way provided all the actors of this society contribute to help it keep up its standard, as it is their duty to do so. I believe that for a student to become an achiever in any field of study or in his life, he should go beyond the academic channel. I would like to emphasize however that patriotism and citizenship are two essential values that should be constantly inculcated among youngsters. When I walk down memory lane, the influence of teachers such as Mr Philipe and Mr Abdool played an important part in the development of youngsters. Indeed, they were role models. As a coincidence, they were both army people. I will always be grateful to them ??