When geography teacher Nallu Dhinakharan sought his principal’s approval for him to pursue a master’s degree, he was warned that the journey would not be easy. He would have to continue working full-time and spend his personal time on post-graduate studies.
“The twice-weekly lessons in school were what I looked forward to the most. They offered a space for us to think deeper about big ideas, such as ‘What’s the value of a humanities education?’,” says Ms Devi. Going back to school again after seven years also helped the two educators become aware of their own assumptions, and even question them.
The conversations they had in class – and with people from other fields and nationalities – allowed them to bring fresh perspectives and new ideas back to the classroom. “During a History course titled Contemporary Singapore, there were only three Singaporeans. The other 12 were international students. But it became the most interesting way I saw history in the 35 years of my life.