<B>Jacques Malié

Rector of Saint Esprit College</B>

?I am one of those who have lived during a period of great change in Mauritian history. In fact, I was at Royal College Curepipe from 1965 to 1971, a period which includes the British era, the post-independence era and the beginning of life in Mauritius as a independent state. As a consequence I knew the last British rector at the time: Brian Bullen. He was typically British, in the sense that he could be considered as an icon of authority, because of his imposing personality. Before facing the difficult task of selecting the one whom I could describe as my ?best teacher?, I will start by describing some who have left an indelible imprint on my mind.

The first one who inevitably clings to my mind is Carl Rassou. There were only four of us in both the Latin and Greek classes; so it was more or less easy for Carl Rassou to develop a good relationship with us. In other words, it was a sort of complicity because the relations between teacher and students were very friendly and there was a sense of togetherness. However, this did not mean that there was any disrespect on our part towards the teacher.

In fact, at that time, a teacher was like a real master with an aura, and he was our source of inspiration in daily life. Carl Rassou had incredible charisma and a sparkling personality. What made his class even more interesting was the fact that the classroom was embellished with pictures and slides. In those days, Latin was taught with a bit of the history of Rome and of the language itself. So no doubt, we came to grips with the subject we were learning.

Of course, I cannot talk about my secondary school experience, without mentioning the indispensable Daniel Koenig for his harsh irony and the way he excelled in teaching us. He mastered all the texts he was doing with us. He would help us to analyse them in minute detail. But when I speak about his irony, I am referring to those phrases he could say in a spontaneous way, just to call a student back to order.

He never punished anyone. Instead, he would use such phrases to make the child see reason. This method was very successful. (Laughter) Once I was late for his class after a football match, and he looked at me and said: ?Culture does not reside in muscles, Malié.? I felt so humiliated that I was reluctant to be late again. I saw him recently and he has not changed. He still has the same sardonic smile. He was and still is a great man.

The other great teacher I had was George Espitalier-Noël. He was a man who belonged to the world of drama. He had a great impact on many because of his knowledge, his intelligence, and his towering personality that was accompanied by a great voice. One cannot forget that George Espitalier-Noël was also the coach of the college football team. I was part of the team and consequently, this gave me the opportunity of knowing him in a different context from the classroom. There was a different kind of relationship between him and the students who were part of the team. As far as I can remember, discipline was what took precedence on the soccer pitch thanks to George Espitalier-Noël.

The last teacher I will talk about, and surely the one I could qualify as ?my best teacher?, is Yves Lefébure. He was always at the zenith of his intellectual knowledge. What was incredible about him was that he always wanted to get the best out of us. In other words, he was the best who expected the best from his students. His approach towards his students and the attention he would give them was fabulous. He was very caring too. For example, if necessary, he would write in our copy books: ?Come and see me during lunchtime?. This showed how he put the student at the centre of everything.

When I recall these memories, I realize one thing. It is that all my teachers always believed in my capacities despite the fact that I was quite a turbulent student at times. I am convinced that it is thanks to their belief in me that I have managed to succeed in life. For this reason, I am very grateful to all of them.?