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. <strong>The</strong> poor kids! <strong>The</strong>y 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, <strong>Jan</strong>sher 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.” “<strong>The</strong>y [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.” <strong>The</strong>re’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 <strong>2018</strong> 20
IAN TEMPLE Knit turtleneck, MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION. Bangle Suit by MASSIMO and earring, DUTTI KATE SPADE NEW YORK. 21 JANUARY/FEBRUARY <strong>2018</strong> | TM
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