<I>"A highly entertaining, talented and cultured teacher”</I>

“Throughout my student life, I have had teachers who have exerted a profound influence on me and left me with some everlasting & indelible memories… teachers from the university like the unforgettable Mr Pennachi, teachers from the secondary school like Mr Boolaky or Mr Ramjanally and many more.

Today as I look back on my student days, some very fond memories of my school days at Rose-Belle North Government School emerge, a school where I had the privilege of being taught by some excellent pedagogues like Mr Manohur, Mr Dursun, Mrs Marcel and Mr Gèneviève. Choosing among them is an arduous task, but I would like here to pay a special tribute to Mr Guy Gèneviève, my teacher in the junior scholarship class. I remember him as a highly entertaining, talented and cultured teacher, who possessed an encyclopaedic knowledge that he was keen to share with the young minds of his class. With the passion that always characterised him, he would entertain us on a number of issues, fuelling our curious minds on topics which were directly related to our school programme like the eruption of Krakatoa and the ensuing environmental consequences or the famous battle of Vieux Grand Port in 1810, as well as on unrelated topics like the very tight race at the top of the Tour de France 1971 between Luis Ocania and Eddy Merckx, the rise and fall of historical icons like Napoléon Bonaparte, Robespierre and so many other interesting topics that certainly stimulated our young minds and enhanced our cultural knowledge.

<I>“A few days before the exams, he used to give vitamins and other nutrients to each student because it was his way of ensuring that every student was in good shape and he tried to relieve us of the stress that afflicted so many of us.”</I>

Pedagogy was not very topical in those days, but when I look back I perceive Guy Gèneviève as an excellent pedagogue who strove for the development of the critical and analytical skills of his students. He promoted teamwork and encouraged sharing and development of strong ties among members of a team. I recall that he divided our class into four groups of about eight students each. Students of each group were graded and given marks for essays and other assignments based on their performances. The objective was to encourage students to give the best of themselves while working for the overall interest of the group. At the end of each quarter, all the teams were rewarded for the hard work, although the best team was rather more handsomely rewarded. All this was achieved in a rather motivating atmosphere of sound competition.

Another very important contribution by Guy Gèneviève was the zeal with which he worked to make school become a centre of intellectual and cultural uplifting. He was a hard worker who would start his classes at 8h00 when they officially started at 9h00. He was also a very caring teacher, always ready to reach out to those in need. I would like to mention one action that epitomizes the nature of the man. A few days before the exams, he used to give vitamins and other nutrients to each student because it was his way of ensuring that every student was in good shape and he tried to relieve us of the stress that afflicted so many of us.

I have met Guy Gèneviève on a couple of occasions recently. I was surprised that he could still remember every single detail of his time at the Rose-Belle North Govt. School as well as the names of the students who had the privilege of having such a fine intellectual as their teacher.

I am one of these privileged students and I would like to express my gratitude to a man who fulfilled his duties as teacher with an almost missionary zeal.”