On World Teachers' Day, two veteran educators reflect on a lifetime of teaching
IN the soft hush of memory, where chalk dust once lingered in the morning light and rows of young faces waited with anticipation, two women look back on lives spent in classrooms — lives neither of them could have fully imagined at the beginning.
On World Teachers' Day, two seasoned educators share insights from their lifelong careers. Theresa Loh Kam Toh, now 84, initially sought a nursing career, finding teaching only in retrospect. When approached to assist at a primary school, she embarked on a decades-long teaching journey. Repiah Singah, by contrast, pursued teaching from early on, spending three decades educating students and future teachers in Malaysia.
While their paths diverged, both women came to realize teaching went beyond academic achievement. Loh observed a shift toward holistic education over time, emphasizing character development alongside academic success. Repiah maintained constant goals: educating, guiding, and shaping students' character. Despite challenging demands and sacrifices, both agreed the true measure of a teacher's work lay in the impact on students, sometimes requiring empathy and understanding beyond discipline.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
