Resolute educator, Raghunauth Udho, is a ‘Special Person’

By Keeran Danny, January 19, 2014 | By KNews | Filed Under News, Source

“I followed my friend to seek my fortunes. But to me, the gold work wasn’t for honest persons, so I couldn’t make it. I didn’t make it. Teaching was my passion and I returned to it…I am happy that I did.”

Born in Princess Carolina, a farming community in the Demerara River, Raghunauth Udho spent almost 30 years of his life dedicated to Guyana’s education system. Beginning his career in 1975 as a substitute teacher at Santa Mission Primary School, Udho retired as a District Education Officer in 2007.

Raghunauth Udho

Sitting at his Diamond Housing Scheme residence, which he shares with his loving wife, Savitree and two sons – Sean and Ravi – Udho shared his journey with Kaieteur News.

Within those more than three decades, he built character as a skillful educator, astute leader, and a humble individual, gaining him respect among his peers, students and members of his community.

Motivated by his primary school teacher, Mr. Jaikarran, young Raghunauth always wanted to be a teacher. During the 1960s when he attended primary school in the Demerara River the school was manned by one teacher.

School days, more so, boyhood for Raghunauth was very exciting. Swinging on tree branches before plunging in the river made bathing a recreational activity enjoyed with friends. On rainy days, he and his siblings went to school rowing their canoes.

Sunshine meant walking along tracks or trails picking fruits to and from school. “Fridays were the best,” he fondly recalled. Friday was designated “fight day” and even with all the discipline that Mr. Jaikarran and parents instilled, every boy was required to partake in this ritual.

Students’ natural respect for Mr. Jaikarran and his delivery of lessons impressed Raghunauth the most. When Raghunauth failed the College of Preceptors (CP) examination in 1968 it was Mr. Jaikarran who encouraged him to rewrite the exam the following year.

That spirit of never giving-up helped him to stay on course when the private secondary school he attended at Good Hope closed only after two terms. Focused on his goal of becoming a teacher, Raghunauth did home studies for the General Certificate of Education.

Of the five subjects he wrote, Raghunauth only secured three, and English was not one. This made it somewhat difficult for him to secure a teaching job. He applied to twenty schools along the Demerara River, Soesdyke, and even Mon Repos on the East Coast of Demerara, hoping to kick start his teaching career, but to no avail.

In 1975, he scored his initial break at Santa Mission Primary School. His first teaching job was that of a substitute teacher. He was substituting for a female teacher who went on maternity leave.

A family portrait

He recounted that being at Santa Mission taught him independence. He did not know how to cook – a skill he was forced to learn through trial and error. He remembered the first time he boiled chowmein for 30 minutes, with the end product being a yellow rubbery ball. Adjusting the heat of the stove was also a mystery and the full fury of the fire caused black-pot on the aluminum pots. The head teacher would usually send the females over to his quarters to clean the pots.

His living accommodation was modest. Raghunauth slept in a hammock among peanuts. But, his inviting personality increased his popularity among the young people. Besides being an academic teacher, Raghunauth taught the young people of Santa Mission martial arts, a hobby he learned from Rubin Lall in the Demerara River.

When the female teacher returned from maternity leave his tenure as a substitute teacher ended. But, in 1976, he was recalled to join the teaching staff at Santa Mission Primary school. He worked 13 years there, during which he learned a lot about the Amerindian culture.

Leaving the warmth of his family did not bother him because Santa Mission villagers essentially became his family. When not imparting knowledge in children, Raghunauth went hunting with his friends. He reminisced about walking for long hours going into the forested areas and joked that his friends had “built-in compasses” to know the way around.

Confident in the teaching profession, Raghunauth knew he needed to further qualify himself to adequately change students’ lives. So, in 1978, he joined the In-service Teachers’ Training Programme in Georgetown. He was seconded to Grove Primary School where he taught during the day and attended classes in the evenings.

After successfully completing the training programme, Raghunauth returned to Santa Mission. But, being a family-oriented person, he ensured that he spent most weekends traversing the Demerara River. On Fridays, he jumped into his small boat and rowed to the mouth of Kamuni Creek, where his family waited in a big motor boat to take him home.

Raghunauth in his youthful days.

During this period, his climb in the teaching profession started. In 1988, he was sitting at the pinnacle of the school which he started out as a substitute teacher. He was appointed the head teacher. However, with the small amount being paid to teachers, in 1989, Raghunauth made the tough decision of leaving the teaching profession in search of his fortunes in the “gold bush”. But, even after spending three years in Guyana’s interior, Raghunauth came out poorer than he went in.

“I had a friend who used to teach that left the profession and went into the interior to work. In those days teachers used to be paid $400 and $500 per month, and this guy used to work for like $35,000. So I followed my friend to seek my fortunes. But to me, the gold work wasn’t for honest persons, so I couldn’t make it. I didn’t make it. Teaching was my passion and I returned to it…I am happy that I did,” he reflected.

During that period, Raghunauth met a young woman who gave birth to his first child, Ravi.

In 1992, with the increase in teachers’ salaries, Raghunauth returned to his original love – teaching. Cognizant that he would face a demotion owing to his break in service, he didn’t mind. In fact, he was not alone. A lot of teachers, even his friend who had become a porkknocker, returned to the teaching profession.

Raghunauth rendered his service to many schools on the East Bank of Demerara as he was shifted from school to school. While attending the University of Guyana to become a Trained Graduate Teacher, Raghunauth taught at Peter’s Hall Primary School. At Craig Primary, he was appointed as the Head Master but his tenure there was short lived because in 2002 he was appointed the District Education Officer, Region Four.

That was not the only good news for him. He tied the knot with a wonderful young lady, Savitree, who extended his family with her two children, Sean and Shaundel.

Being an officer in the education sector took a while to get used to. Raghunauth said that he used to get anxious at 15:00hrs because he was accustom leaving work at that hour. But, as he grew to love his new job, he ensured that he reached early and stopped being a clock-watcher.

With new responsibilities such as budget preparation, he found a new appreciation for management. He came to understand why items requested by schools were not readily supplied and found some of his previous grumblings as a teacher against management were wholly unwarranted.

Interacting with teachers at all levels was easy, because he “went through the ropes” before being appointed an Officer. Raghunauth understood the struggles of teachers and was flexible, yet stern.

As a District Education officer, Raghunauth Udho worked directly under the Regional Education Officer (RedO), who at that time was Doodmattie Singh, the current Deputy Chief Education Officer (Development).

Ms. Singh describes Raghunauth as an individual who worked well, is deep-thinking, dedicated to the education system, and never gives up.

“There was a time when the Education Department was understaffed…there was only one RedO and one officer, who happened to be Mr. Udho…he didn’t give up and said the work was too much…he came in earlier than requires and visited every school without complaining,” Ms. Singh said.

Raghunauth recalled working through the 2005 floods with Ms. Singh and another officer. The Beterverwagting/ Triumph Education office was inundated and the office was relocated to sub-offices at several schools on the East Bank Demerara. They ensured that the interests of teachers from Mahaica to Moblissa, Region 10 were met.

He retired in 2007 but has not closed the door as an educator.