After 19 years in the classroom, Berbice teacher graduates with top award from CPCE

An educator for nearly two-decades, 37-year-old Dhankumar Singh recently graduated from the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) as the Best Industrial Technology Student.

“I wasn’t expecting that. I was just working towards being the best Industrial Technology teacher. But it was an accomplished feeling for me at this age,” the father of four told the News Room.

For Singh, teaching was not always the plan.

“After school, I didn’t plan to become a teacher but at that time, the job was available, and after teaching for a couple of years, I realised I had [this thing] in me to help.”

Nineteen years later, that realisation has become his life’s mission. Known for his hands-on approach and love for creating and building, Singh says his greatest joy comes from sharing his skills with his students.

“I like to do things with my hands, make stuff, and I like sharing with children what I’ve accumulated throughout my adult life,” he said, adding: “I saw students in need and decided to teach them a skill so they could become independent individuals.”

His journey to this qualification was not without its challenges. Early in his career, Singh attended the New Amsterdam Training Centre but had to quit after his first year due to financial difficulties and the strain of late-night classes and long travels.

Despite it being years later, Singh had renewed determination and with the encouragement of his family and friends, he is now a trained teacher.

“Even though I had been teaching for years, [the college] still taught us things we didn’t know,” he said.

He believes that once you love what you do, there is no challenge you cannot overcome.

Today, Singh says he has no plans to leave the classroom.

“I don’t want to leave; I want to help these children. Teaching is a very good profession, it’s rewarding.

“I feel proud when a police officer stops me on the road and says, ‘Sir, how you doing?’ It’s a rewarding job,” Singh stated.

Singh is an industrial technology teacher at the Hopetown Practical Instruction Centre, West Coast Berbice.