UP CLOSE … with Rosemary Bastienne, retired head teacher |24 March 2020
Rosemary Bastienne
‘Teaching should not be seen as a job but a vocation’
By Marie-Anne Lepathy
Many teachers and past pupils will remember her as a very strict teacher and later head teacher who ensured that all the school rules were followed to the letter by both teachers and pupils and someone that commanded respect and admiration by both adults and children in the way she managed and ran the schools she headed.
But she opted for an early retirement from her teaching vocation in October 2016 to undergo a knee operation but has since remained active helping the Ministry of Education with some small projects working from home.
I met Rosemary Bastienne at her home at Quincy Village a few days following International Women’s Day after she was honoured by a group of youths from the Seychelles National Youth Council (SNYA). She was among a group of remarkable women in the community whom the group of young people visited and presented with a bouquet of flowers on that day.
Being a teacher was the profession of her dreams
Still missing the school environment and pupils around her, Ms Bastienne was excited and eager to talk about her life devoted to teaching and managing different secondary schools.
“I always wanted to be a teacher and deep in my heart I always have the firm belief that for me teaching was not only a job but rather a vocation where you receive a calling just like the priesthood,” affirmed Ms Bastienne.
“For me I firmly believe that people who just take teaching as any job will not be good teachers as it is a vocation and it calls for a lot of dedication,” she said.
She started pre-teaching in 1971 and spent two years developing her skills through teaching practice and learning more about her chosen career around which her whole life was going to be surrounded.
She still recalls the day in 1973 when her career as a teacher started in a P4 classroom at the Anse Etoile primary school. For a year as a supply teacher at the tender age of 18 years, she taught the little ones all subjects before going to the Teacher Training College to further her teacher training. But after her year-long experience as a primary teacher, she was tempted to opt for secondary teaching and she made the choice. She studied over a three-year period.
Her teaching career journey
Her 43 years of teaching career took her to different schools and for her each move was a learning process as her encounter with a new team of teachers and other school personnel boost her experience and strengthened her resolve to be a better teacher. She taught for over 20 years before becoming a head teacher in 1995 with her first posting at La Rosière school.
“It was really a great accomplishment for me after all those years that I had devoted myself to the teaching vocation,” Ms Bastienne reminisced.
For her the joy and satisfaction she felt when among her pupils and teachers was immense and beyond description. “I felt complete ownership for the education of all the pupils entrusted to me and I would not feel happy until I managed to capture those uncommitted pupils with the tendency to play truant and made them realise the importance of having a good education,” said Ms Bastienne.
She noted that this was a big challenge at times but succeeding in the end was always a great achievement which left her with the most wonderful sense of accomplishment.
Ms Bastienne recalled how she was often referred to as one of the strictest head teachers around but noted that today many of the past pupils are grateful to her for ensuring through her strict teaching and management style they were made to toe the line and as a result remained committed to their studies.
“It was important that I was strict as a head teacher to be in control and I always told my pupils that I preferred when they said I was too strict than to say they can do whatever they want and that they have me in the palm of their hands. Because sooner or later they come to realise that as a student you never succeed in life when you believe you can do whatever you want but rather when you have people to hold your hand and guide you.”
“For me I never rest until I succeed in convincing a pupil to take his studies seriously and drive home to him or her why it is important to make the most of their studies so they can become whoever they want later in life.”
I always believe that God entrusted me those children for a reason and that one day I would have to answer to Him and this is why I was not one to rest until I felt I have exhausted all possible means to get the best out of all my pupils. I made sure I understood all my pupils well so that I knew when to apply punitive measures on some of them.
Ms Bastienne did not deny that sometimes she knew her pupils better than the teachers at the school and this she affirmed is because she has never been a head teacher to remain in the office. Her break time was when all pupils and teachers had resumed classes.
Looking back she recalled that her mere presence spoke volumes and she commanded respect among both pupils and teachers.
“Each school was different in its own particular way, each with its share of good as well as not so good experiences which mark you but I firmly believe that the teaching environment and pupils’ behaviour experience some changes with the arrival of different foreign teachers,” she remarked.
“I don’t have anything against foreign teachers as there were those who were extremely dedicated, result-driven, and they were those teachers who adapted easily to their pupils. But the situation starts to deteriorate when teachers start on the wrong foot and find it difficult to catch up.”
But Ms Bastienne admitted that pupils’ attitude towards education and studies has changed drastically over the years and coupled with the discipline problem and lack of cooperation from parents and guardians have not done much to help the situation.
“When I look around I see that there is a growing number of pupils who are not appreciating the education they are getting while in the past there were few such pupils. I think we have a lot of work to do to address this problem and the ministry alone will never be able to overcome that. Everybody concerned for the future of our country should come onboard and support the schools,” said Ms Bastienne.
A lucky head teacher
Ms Bastienne believes that in a way she has been a blessed and lucky head teacher in that most parents understood her, cooperated with her for the development and success of their children.
“But this does not mean that I have not come across some difficult teachers, parents and equally difficult pupils but the way I handled all these difficult situations and people, helped me to always come out triumphant because as people got to know and understand me better, in most cases it does not take long for us to understand each other and have a good working relationship. But nevertheless she went on to detail some of the very unpleasant incidents involving difficult parents and their children.
“But I am someone who never gives up on children and I always ensure they realise their faults and come back to correct them.”
“This is why I would say that teaching was the most enriching and satisfying vocation for me. What I got from teaching I don’t believe I would have obtained anywhere else. It is one of those careers where new things are happening everyday and I was happy to handle all those challenges and share in the good and happy moments of the schools and their pupils.”
While comparing the pupils’ behaviour today and years back, Ms Bastienne noted that years back a few pupils were more of a nuisance and they just wanted to be pranksters but these days an increasing and worrying number of pupils lack discipline, they are bad mannered, arrogant and insolent and if it happens that teachers start on the wrong foot with them they would lose control of their classrooms and it would be difficult for them to turn things around.
Something Ms Bastienne recalled she appreciated very much was the fact that teachers from the different schools she has worked with have not had any problem with her leadership and management style.
“We did not take long to adapt and develop good working relationships and this I appreciated very much,” she affirmed. But nevertheless Ms Bastienne still recalls the tough challenges she faced at one of the schools she headed.
“There were quite a number of uncooperative teachers there who challenged mostly all the decisions I came up with and this with their attitude ‘who are you to give us orders?’ but this kind of attitude did not in any way break me but instead only tested my ability and pushed me to address these challenges head on.
“I worked with them on a one to one basis but I have to admit that I had a real tough time to address some laissez-faire attitude and lethargy that had settled in among some teachers to ensure everybody follow the school rules.”
But does she feel that our head teachers today are strong, capable individuals to face all the modern day challenges hitting our schools from all fronts?
“My belief is to come into teaching because it’s a calling you’ve had, in that case you will never fail, you will always succeed. Pupils will love and appreciate you and your teachers will work better with you so you can be in control of your school.
“The Ministry of Education provides a lot of training and in-service courses but theory and the reality on the ground are different things. This is why I always say that teaching is a vocation and you will manage and do it well only if you are in it with your heart and you devote yourself to it completely otherwise if you see it only as a job you will fail miserably.
“I believe some teachers lack the necessary commitment; they should think more of the future of their pupils and our country and the joy they would feel when all their pupils succeed.”
Sense of worry for the country’s future
Even though she has retired from her teaching career for almost four years now, Ms Bastienne says she follows closely all the developments taking place in education to the smallest detail and she is often overtaken by a great sense of worry for the future of our country.
“I watch helplessly the continuing degradation in some pupils behaviour and their complete disregard for their education in spite of all efforts by the Ministry of Education, the school councils and other bodies to boost learning and encourage them to make the most of their schooling. The country is always appealing to the young people to take their responsibilities as they are the future of our country but if they have this kind of attitude how will they take charge and lead our country? How can we rely on them to bring the country forward? Will we continue to bring in more and more foreigners to do simple things for us while we continue to complain about foreigners invading our country?”
She noted that the drug problem coupled with other social ills, some uncooperative parents are also not helping the situation. But Ms Bastienne has great admiration for those pupils and their parents who are really doing their utmost to come up with good grades and push themselves and their schools to the forefront.
Enjoying her retirement
While she is still recuperating from her knee surgery, Ms Bastienne is kept busy working on small projects for the ministry while at the same time she is enjoying her retirement quietly at home.
She admitted that she had well-planned the days she would retire but now aged 63 with her leg impairment Ms Bastienne feels somehow limited in the things she had planned to do but she says this does not prevent her from enjoying well deserved peace and quiet.
A former sportsperson who used to play netball, basketball and was a passionate supporter of teams like Premium Cobras, ARSU and others, Ms Bastienne regrets that she can no longer be part of the excitement at the games’ venues but can only watch from television.
“I wish I could be part of my favourite sports but anyway God has decided otherwise and I have to accept that,” Ms Bastienne concluded.
