From PSLE failure to uni grad in 21 years

Primary school teacher worked his way through diplomas and degree while juggling studies and various jobs

By Karen Wong
May 09, 2008

LOOKING at the confident and well-spoken primary school teacher Ravindran Kanna, you wouldn't guess that he had flunked out of school.


Machinist, assistant engineer, teacher - Mr Ravindran Kanna has done it all. TNP Picture: DAVID TAN

But through sheer determination and hard work, this man who was a Primary 6 'failure' and his teachers' despair, is now a graduate.

Speaking to The New Paper at Bukit Panjang Primary School where he teaches, Mr Ravindran, 38, said he was 'playful' when young.

He hardly paid attention in class, and often fooled around with a group of friends nicknamed 'the Jackson Five'.

The result: He failed Primary 4 and was pushed into the extended stream.

Despite taking two extra years - up till Primary 8, as it was known in those days - Mr Ravindran failed his PSLE in 1984.

He said, tongue-in-cheek: 'When I got my results slip, it said: 'Superannuated'. I thought I got into some kind of express stream.'

But what it meant was he was out of the school system, as he did not pass his PSLE.

TURNING POINT
The setback marked a turning point in his life.

He recalled: 'After I got my PSLE results, I overheard my father, tears in his eyes, saying to my mother: 'I have failed'.'

It was then, he said, that he realised how much his father had hoped he would be able to further his studies.

Because of this, Mr Ravindran, who is the middle of three brothers, set out on a path to 'excel and make my father proud of me'.

His father, Mr Kanna Veerappan, 67, often held down two to three jobs at a time - he would work at the car wash in the morning, before heading off to his job as a hotel laundry supervisor. He also worked as a night security guard.

Mum is a housewife.

Mr Ravindran said: 'I could vividly picture the disappointment in his eyes when I received my PSLE result.'

Driven by his father's encouragement, he fought on.

At that time, he had little choice but to go to a vocational institute.

Then, to further his studies, he took night classes at Clementi Town Secondary School, on top of his vocational institute training in the day.

This continued for two years.

When he graduated with a certificate in maintenance fitting, he got a job as a machinist.

Still, he continued with his night classes at the secondary school, right up to the time he was serving his National Service.

After some six years of night studies, he passed his O levels with five credits. That was in 1991.

After he finished his National Service, he got a job as a maintenance technician in a Japanese manufacturing company.

Not satisfied with just an O-level qualification, Mr Ravindran signed up to do a polytechnic diploma course, at night.

In 1997, after five years of balancing his work with night studies, he received a diploma in mechanical engineering from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

He then thought about pursuing a career in teaching.

REJECTED TWICE
He applied twice to the Education Ministry for a teaching job but was rejected both times.

So, he joined yet another Japanese company as an assistant engineer.

The following year, he married his longtime sweetheart, Ms Rosalind Frances, whom he had met in 1990 while attending night classes at Clementi Town.

Shortly after, he again signed up for night studies - this time, for an advanced diploma in mechanical engineering.

He applied for a teaching post again, and this time, he got in. But he had to complete his education diploma at the National Institute of Education first.

He did that in the day. At night, he was still pursuing his engineering advanced diploma.

For two years, he said, he juggled both.

'There were many times when the exam periods would coincide. I would have an exam in the morning, and another at night,' he said.

He managed to complete both after three years.

In May 2002, he was posted to Bukit Panjang Secondary School.

Still determined to upgrade himself, he went to SIM University (UniSIM) to read a degree in English and psychology in 2003.

In November 2005, he received the Lifelong Learners Award from President S R Nathan.

He said: 'This was the proudest moment not only for me but especially for my father.'

He graduated in December 2005.

The father of two boys, aged 4 and 7, said that his wife has been very supportive of his part-time studies.

What would he do differently if he had a chance?

Mr Ravindran said: 'If I could go back in time, I would go back to secondary school to study.'