NOTES FROM MY FORMER ENGLISH TEACHER

NOTES FROM INDIA..............V.S.TUPPER


Mr.V.S.Tupper was a former teacher of Ibrahim School .Below is the story how he was brought from India to Malaya . His journey to Malaya is fastinating .

" I am in Malaya in response to an advertisement which the government of The Federation of Malaya inserted in the leading newspapers of India and Pakistan,for trained 'Honours Graduate' with a couple of years of teaching experience , on a short-term contracts of three years , extendable to five , on salary and allowances far in excess of what a poor country like India can afford to pay.

I liked the advertisement and by way of information brought it to the notice of the staff of the school of which I was the headmaster, and even told them that that was an excellant opportunity to go out to see a little of the world and also to earn a handsome salary,adding,that three years was after all not a very long period of time to be away from home.But the man who thus advised his staff was himself in no mood to apply for the post just then.It was not until the third and last appearance of the advertisement that I decided to send in my application.A month later I was invited to appear at an interview at Lucknow ( 2oo miles away from my home ),at the expense of the Malayan Government.That was during our long vacations and it suited me admirably to make a short trip to Lucknow and that too not at my own expense . I was able to guess that things had gone fairly well with me at the Selection Board which consisted of twno Europeans and two co-opted Indian officers.Three weeks later I received a letter to say that I was being considered for an appointment subject to satisfactory completion of certain preliminaries. The perliminaries having successfully completed , the next letter said that I have been selected for appointment and that a passage was being arranged for me .

The last letter informed me of my sailing date by m.s."Santhia",adding that I would be met at Penang by an officer of the Malayan Government who would arrange for my accommodation and onward transport.

On board the "Santhia" I realised that I was accompanied by six other officers proceeding to Malaya on the same mission.

The " Santhia " reached Penang in the small hours of the morning of November 6,1953.Coming out of my cabin the first sight of Malaya to greet my eyes was the channel, the clocktower and the Penang Hill.But unlike others,my heart was heavy to think that my pleasant journey of 9 days had come to an end.I wished that it had gone on for ever, like Penelope's web.The government officer who met me at Penang was none other than our kindly Headmaster Mr.Lim Chien Chye.He came on board and from the outset began to make me feel at home.When asked where I was going he answered " Sungai Petani"..........at last I am at Ibrahim School.....

Finis Coronat Opus. " V.S.TUPPER (EX-TEACHER)

( I submitted this same notes to the Ibrahim school Alumni.net)