After 44 years of shaping young minds, Durban teacher Barry Swain is preparing for retirement.
It’s is World Teacher’s Day today a fitting day for Swain to reflect on his 44 years in the profession.
Swain, 68, from Durban North, will retire at the end of the month from his post as head of teacher education campus at Stadio Higher Education in Musgrave.
His philosophy has been that education is about reaching out to others, taking their hand, and leading them to where they want to go.
He said his job was to ensure that the 1 000 students on the campus were looked after and when they completed their four-year training they were classroom-ready professionals.
Students are moulded into becoming teachers who make children want to come to school because “it’s an exciting place to be, a place of great learning and great sportsmanship and camaraderie,” said Swain.
He has had a diverse career including roles as a geography and physical education teacher, school counsellor and headmaster. Swain began his career in 1980 at Durban High School where he taught geography and physical education. He moved to Port Shepstone High School, George Campbell School of Technology, Penzance Primary and Crawford College.
“Over the years school’s have modernised and become businesses. There has been a great technical revolution at schools and teachers remained pivotal to a child’s learning experience,” he said.
“I’ve been involved in teacher leadership and leadership for heads and I believe it is key to the successful operation of a school. A teacher is a person that children are inspired by, a teacher who goes to school prepared, organised, structured and with joy in their heart and are able to import that to their children.
“Discipline in school has changed vastly. If you’re a great teacher and have great leadership you don’t have discipline problems. However, you will always have challenges; unfortunately it starts at home. If the parents have a good relationship with their children, the pupils are well mannered and come to school and are successful. Where there is a family breakdown, the child is rebellious and brings attitude to school. They become bullies which becomes problematic,” he said.
Swain later worked with higher education institutions on new initiatives and played a key role in developing the next generation of teachers.
The operation of schools as successful businesses required people who had a business mind but also understood the needs of children, what teaching was all about and knowing teaching staff were the most important asset.
“Teachers who will work with you that children trust. That is the foundation stone upon which all teaching is built,” said Swain.
Swain was also involved with teachers union Naptosa.
He said had a fantastic time at all the places he worked and hoped to have left them in a more positive space than when he arrived.
Swain said he didn’t set out to become a teacher, having started his university career to become an accountant.
“Being an accountant wasn’t for me. When I finished my military service, I worked as a manager in retail. I was also a very active sportsman, running cross country and track and played hockey at provincial and national level. I went back to university and studied physical education so I could pursue my sporting career. I ended up becoming a high school teacher,” he said.
Swain also coached at his own gymnastics club for 15 years.
After retirement, Swain will spend his time at leisure but will still help Stadio build partnerships.