RETIRED headmistress Tajmattie Raghuraj, fondly called ‘Miss Bhena’ said she has no regrets over her decision to impart knowledge and see young lives transformed, after serving for over 35 years in the profession.
It began during a vacation in the North West District and the journey that started at Mabaruma Primary School in 1975, took her through a path that, subsequently, led her to the Tutorial Academy Secondary School, in New Amsterdam, Berbice, where she spent most of her years.
Reflecting on the voyage along her professional career, she recalled that, on completing her secondary education at the Berbice Educational Institute, her brother, then the dispenser for the North West, sent for his younger sibling to spend a holiday.
“But my sister-in-law had other plans. She wanted company. So, on her advice, I applied for a vacant post at the Mabaruma Primary School where I taught for two years, prior to writing and successfully passing the Third Year Teacher’s Examination,” Ms. Raghuraj related.
It was in 1977 when she returned to the ‘Ancient County’ where she commenced teaching at Tutorial Academy, which was then located at Main and Pilot Streets, before it moved to its present Savannah Park location, also in New Amsterdam, in 1979.
She recounted that, although she was accepted at the University of Guyana (UG), as a Science student in 1976, her parents did not allow her to take up the opportunity, because of the compulsory government order to join the Guyana National Service (GNS).
Expressing some measure of regret over her parents’ decision, she said: “My size, my stature was so small and my parents thought I may not have survived, based on stories peddled during that period.”

Hope Estate
Nevertheless, despite her initial disappointment, she, later, enrolled in 1980, for primary education training at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE), where, at Turkeyen, she did her stint of national service, working sometimes, at Hope Estate.
She said, during her college training, she was seconded to Buxton Primary School, on East Coast Demerara, as well, for her teaching practice and served there, with mixed feelings, for five weeks under supervision of a Mr. Hardy.
On completing the CPCE course, she taught the Edinburgh Primary School Grade Six Class for 15 years.
While at that East Bank Berbice institution, she upgraded her academic qualifications through several programmes offered by the UG Extra Mural Department, Canadian Teachers Federation, Guyana Teachers Union and the National Centre for Educational Research Development (NCERD).
In 1995, she returned to Tutorial Academy as a Senior Mistress and, thereafter, climbed the rungs of leadership to the post of Deputy Headmistress and Principal, respectively.
Being at the helm of the learning institution, the disciplinarian, as she prefers to be remembered, was instrumental in having the Science and Home Economics laboratories constructed, acquiring a portion of land to be upgraded to a playfield, purchasing a public address system and a 20-piece steel orchestra.
However, despite her departure, she is optimistic that the plans of having a music room made to house the musical instruments, along with a huge chicken pen for the meat bird commercial project, will soon materialise.
Raghuraj noted, however, that while the school’s overall academic grades did not exceed its competitors, the performances at extra curricular activities, like athletics and other sports, essay writing and music, have been outstanding.

Parting advice
Her parting advice to teachers is that they must be dedicated to their profession and she admonished them to love the profession as she did and avoid instances of absenteeism and lateness.
Highlighting the lack of parental support at the classroom level, she said a small number of parents would attend the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings but others would visit the school in an aggressive manner whenever there are issues with their respective children/guardians.
Nevertheless, the few challenges apart, the mother of one said, if given a choice she would, again, choose none other but teaching.
“I love to teach. It helps with one’s discipline. You have an opportunity to guide a child to attain his/her goal,” she remarked.
Asked what is next, after dedicating two-thirds of her life to teaching, she replied:”Working on the family farm at Highbury, East Bank Berbice, giving lessons on religious culture, some sewing and spending quality time with her son Varush and husband, Deodat Persaud.
“After all, I gave the children of this nation more than half of my life, the remainder now is for my family,” she declared.