Tropicana Magazine Jan-Feb 2018 #116: A Start From The Heart

IAN TEMPLE
INTERVIEW SHARMINI M.RETHINASAMY
PHOTOGRAPHY BRIAN FANG, M8 STUDIO
ART DIRECTION NOR HAMIMAH ABDULLAH
MAKE UP AND HAIR JOEY YAP
laughs today and they are getting used to me but I guess mine
is a completely different sense of humour. The poor kids! They
are getting there but hopefully by year end, along with business
studies, they will learn some British humour, which is a cultural
exchange of sorts.”
Quite the introvert when he was in school, Ian was a shy boy.
“I would actually just take my time and observe an entire situation
until I was comfortable knowing that I would get it right,” he
shares. “I was the type who would look after myself and wasn’t a
loud mouth or show off. I just enjoyed my game of squash and was
pleased that I played it at a decent level. It kept me motivated and
got me through the school day with a smile on my face.”
Ian was so into the sport that at the age of 18, he took a year
out of study to play squash and see if he could achieve more in
the game. “Unfortunately, I didn’t but I had some great times
playing it. I got to train with World Number One, Jansher
Khan, who was just a few years older than me, at the quarter
finals of the Scottish Open. It was a great experience, though
he absolutely wiped the floor with me, but it didn’t matter as
I played with the World Number One and made some great
friends on the circuit.”
As any hope for a stellar career in the sporting arena was
dashed, it was a turning point and Ian knew he had to do
something else. Hence, he pursued his degree.
“I can’t understand why I didn’t pursue a degree in
geography though,” says Ian. “I love the physical side of
geography and get fascinated with geographical barriers.”
“Probably one of the most positive experiences in the
classroom during my school time was my geography teacher,
Mrs Whitehead. She was tough as boots but wonderful all the
same. Really the kind of authority a teenage boy needs. In
those days, we could get caned in school as a child.” He quickly
adds, “I was a good child; in fact, I was very good. It’s a little
embarrassing as I was only ever put in detention once. My
whole class was late for a lesson. It was my only ‘criminal’
record in school!”
Ian has, over time, learned to adapt to the different social
and cultural environments he has taught in. Having worked in
Dubai for a while and now in Malaysia, he has come a long way
to bridging the gaps in cultural differences.
“I come from the northeast of England where you may have
three Muslim families in your entire community,” he explains.
“Having those Muslim students come to your school is a moving
experience for those children who have never been out of their
geographical region. It’s been a great learning curve for most of
them. I went from being a deputy principal of an outstanding
school to the principal in Dubai not knowing what I was going
to get myself into. I had never even visited Dubai, but I did have
friends there and they persuaded me. It was a hotbed of multiculturism.”
“They [UAE] still have their visions for what they want their
citizens to be, to be able to accept all cultures. It was really the
first time I was working with the Chinese and again from Persia
and Iraq, you name it, to Brazil, New Zealand and Kazakhstan.
It was absolutely fantastic. We used to celebrate International
Day, and everyone would celebrate their cultures. That’s where
I really learnt about my international mindedness, my multiculturism
in Dubai. You don’t have a choice, a lot of the schools
are like that, to the point where there’s only around 20 per cent
of locals in a school. Whereas here [Tenby], we have 70 per cent
Malaysians, and on the flip side, we only have 30 per cent of other
nationalities in the schools, so you can still get that international
mindedness.”
Ian is motivated to come to school every day to get things
done. No matter how good the school is he knows there is always
room for improvement.
“I would absolutely be bored stiff if I didn’t get to teach and
have those relationships in student-teacher-management levels
with everybody,” he says. “That excites me even if it’s just the
everyday matters of fixing the roof and ensuring the drains are
not blocked.”
“If anyone told me in 1993 when I started teaching, that
I would be a head teacher, I would have laughed it off. It just
hadn’t crossed my mind, because I was embarking on this
new career, and I just wanted to be a good teacher. I still want
to be a good teacher and I will always be a teacher. That’s the
fun side of life. That’s why dabbling in modelling, music and
squash made it is so clear. I hope to be able to drive that, so
that children know that there’s got to be a life/study balance.
Otherwise, you’re just going to be this boring academic making
no difference.”
There’s no stopping Ian as he continues to grow as a school
principal and teacher, but most importantly as a mentor to the
young. Has he any regrets leaving the UK to come teach in a
country so far away?
“It’s the best decision I’ve made, cause I’ve made friends, got
to know various cultures and people; it will stay with me for the
rest of my life.”
TM | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018
20