?Practically, teachers need to know a lot of stuff about classroom testing, and I felt that if I became specialized in that area and worked at the university, I would be able to impart knowledge to them so that they can help the school system, and this motivated me.?
By Leon Suseran
Education?pursued by many, every single day, with the hope of having a better standard of life and being equipped with the skills needed to function better in a vastly changing world. Whether it is accessing a primary, secondary or even higher education, these days, education is valued to a great extent.
Rajkumar Sookraj
This is why many of us make harsh sacrifices to attain a good education, even when we never thought it was in us to do so; to excel, to exceed, to come out on top. How discouraged many of us can become when we stumble along the way; when we fail in life. But the important thing is getting up, dusting ourselves off and trying harder again with the intent to succeed.
The story of Rajkumar Sookraj is one just like that. Hailing from a poor fishing family on the Lower Corentyne, his father worked tirelessly in the sugar industry, away from home, leaving his [Raj?s] mother to shoulder much of the responsibilities in the home. But as we will see, this young, playful and carefree ?country boy? met his own set of challenges in life; aimed high in his quest for education and proved to many that one from a poor ?country? background can make it to great heights, with determination, and a bit of motivation of course.
He was born at Number One Road, Corentyne, in a community that dealt with mostly farming and fishing. Most of the men in the village were employed by the nearby sugar estate.
?We had a lot of interaction with friends?cricket, games, and we would help a lot with chores and livestock in the homes and involve ourselves, too, with farming as well?, he reflected. His father worked at the Providence Estate. He would be away from the home during the week and come home on the weekends. However, this did not really affect them much.
?My mother had to take up the responsibility but it didn?t interfere with us much, because despite he (father) was not there, everything was normal, in terms of discipline and every other basic comfort was there?. There were 3 other brothers and a sister, ?but I grew up alone because the others were very big, so I was the child who grew up with my mother and father alone?.
He attended Gibraltar Primary from 1973-1982 and Lower Corentyne Secondary form 1982-1985.
Rajkumar shared a few memories from childhood. ?I did stuff normally that boys did?we went to the trench and bathe, and to the cane fields and get a piece of cane; catch birds?we used to go and play cricket; we had a lovely reef where everybody in the community would meet up there, especially during rainy days, nice grass, and we would enjoy playing softball cricket there?.
In his village during the evenings, they would go out on the dams, also with adults, and play ?saul pass? ?and you would enjoy, especially during moonlight nights, the neighbours would come together, sit, and the children would play around and we used to play until nine. We had farms and I used to go with my friends and pick mangoes?.
Mr Sookraj and his family (from left): Devan, Maria, Sharda and Avinash.
Young Raj got a bit discouraged after his CXC qualifications were ?a bit poor?. He credited this to his ?playful? attitude. ?To me, I wasn?t serious over the schoolwork?I can tell you?I was a real movie fan, so it was like Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays, we used to run away from school and go and see the 1:15 [pm] show. It was not like I didn?t have potential but the interest?it was like I was involved in stuff boys would normally do and paid less attention to school?.
After being informed that there was a shortage of teachers in the system, he applied to enter the teaching profession and started to teach at Gibraltar Primary in 1987.? A few years later, he entered the training college. Little did he realize that he had a lot of potential during the time he was asked to do some upgrading exams for teachers entering the Teachers? Training College.? He performed very well in the exams and went straight into the teacher-training.
Life from that point became a bit more serious for Raj as he began to concentrate more on his studies and life-intended career of teaching.
?That was the turning point and I started CPCE and I came out as the second Best Graduating Student in 1997,? he stated. This was quite the opposite from the high school scenario and his CXC results. He had indeed become more serious with his work.
?I had this competitive spirit in class that I should rise? you know, and I realized that naturally, I started to perform better and be on top. It was not something I was fighting for. I was always on top. I just performed well from one time to the next and this motivated me to go forward.?
During these studies, too, his wife passed away after a long battle with cancer. ?It was a real distressing time for me?, he recalled. But Raj continued on his path to seeking education. He? later did re-marry.
In his pursuit to climb the education ladder, he applied to study at the University of Guyana Berbice Campus (UGBC) in 2000. He was among the first batch of students at the facility. He later graduated with a Bachelor?s Degree in Education (Administration) in 2004, topping his cadre of students (primary school teachers) in both the Certificate in Education Programme (2002) and the Degree Programme at the final graduation.
He was then employed at Fyrish Primary in 2005 where he taught for 3 years and returned to Gibraltar Primary as Head teacher in 2009. He later joined the staff of Tain Primary as Deputy- head teacher in 2010. He spent 23 years in the teaching profession.
In 2010, he joined the teaching staff of UGBC as a Measurement & Evaluation Lecturer.
?I really enjoyed teaching? I had some nice times?the staff at both schools, was very, very cooperative and helpful and I never faced challenges with them?and I was very cooperative with them?, he said.
Receiving an Award for Best Graduating Student (Certificate in Education) in 2002 from Mr Imran Sacoor (right) of Republic Bank.
Not quite satisfied with his education achievements, and still ever so determined to climb further, he enlisted to read for his Masters of Education Degree and graduated in November of this year at the Turkeyen Campus.
?You?re never satisfied, as long you start to qualify yourself with higher education, you always feel that you want to go up more?there is this urge to acquire more knowledge and skills.?
He asserted that it was intrinsic motivation as well as being encouraged by friends to pursue his higher degree.
In 2010, he became employed full-time by UGBC and left the teaching system in the public school. He also lectures on a part-time basis with the Cyril Potter College of Education. He lectures to secondary school teachers in Berbice.
His final thesis dealt with Measurement & Evaluation, an area he loves very much. ?Practically, teachers need to know a lot of stuff about classroom testing, and I felt that if I became specialized in that area and worked at the university, I would be able to impart knowledge to them so that they can help the school system, and this motivated me?.
Our ?Special Person? investigated social factors affecting student performance at the National Grade Six Assessment. His findings, he stated, revealed that performance is indeed connected with students? family income.
?Those who are from the middle-income will generally perform better than those who are from low- income families. It also shows that students who have parents with higher levels of education, like tertiary and secondary education, they will perform better at the assessment in 2010 than those who had parents with only primary levels of education.?
These results, he opined, have implications for our nation.
Mrs Bibi Shadick presenting him with the prize for 2nd Best Graduating Student?at CPCE in 1997 at the National Cultural Centre.
?As parents, you need to educate yourselves as much as you can and this would help you to increase your earnings?and your family?s living standards will improve and if that improves, your children can focus more on education?and if they focus more, their performances will improve.?
?I am proof that despite what background or community you come from, you can make it in life?and others out there should not be discouraged, press on and don?t look back from where you come from. Just press forward to reach the top!?
?If you?re educated, it will get you out of poverty and you can help people; and if it gets you out of poverty, it means a better living standard for you and your family and you can make society better.?
Apart from lecturing, Raj is involved in counselling youths in his community. He also enjoys reading and listening to music and assists UGBC with its Annual Reading Programme with under-performing children in the Corentyne area. He also assists kids in his area with Mathematics and English, especially during the August holidays.? ?I like adventure. I like going out?in my younger days, I used to go out on nature walks?.
He did have a role model whom he looked up to. ?I looked up to Dr Joshua Ramsammy, my neighbour and a lecturer at UG Turkeyen and I was telling myself?that since he was from a similar family background like I was?if he can do it, why can?t I? He was one of the motivating factors.?
His principles in life? ?Always do what you like and like what you do and it will move you forward and so, if you are a teacher, it means you like teaching, so you must perform to the best of your ability. If one does not like what they do, they need to look for heroes, for people who can motivate them, to look for people who would positively impact their lives. Everyone out there has a contribution to make to society, but you have to believe in yourself.?
?Try to do what is right and if you know somebody that is doing something that is not right, why should you go and do the same thing??
When asked to share words of advice for teachers, he said, ?Teachers are moulders of the nation and they are the greatest beings who would have walk this earth, and teachers should take into consideration what they do and how they do it because they are teachers all around the clock and eyes are on them, and students are very sensitive. The students pay keen attention to teachers? lifestyles and the teachers can easily lose respect if they don?t conduct themselves properly in society and in the school.
He concluded by reiterating that poverty is no stumbling block for someone to move up the ladder in life.
?Honestly, it?s quite simple. If you believe, you can achieve!?
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