Susan Roy
Susan Roy
The Reign of Resolve
by Ann Tissa Pallickal
Over twenty years! That is how long Susan Roy has been the Principal of United Indian School. She is without a doubt the only person in Kuwait to have been at the helm of a school for over 2 decades. This bears testimony to her unwavering dedication, and immense capability at administration.
Her family was instrumental in the direction her life took as she chose to pursue teaching – echoing her father’s belief that teaching was a great profession for girls, while her mother, being a nurse, had expressed her reluctance to have her daughter work laboriously in the medical field as she herself had. Considering her parents’ desires and the fact that her sister was a teacher as well gave Susan Roy a nudge towards the profession that became her ladder. And thus, she began her ascent, discovering a love for teaching and moulding humanity.
She understands the gravity of her role; what it means to be responsible for impressionable minds and how vital it is that they are moulded to be beautifully human above all things – driven by their conscience, as she reiterates that moral values are something that never change no matter how the world around us morphs. “I want them to be good human beings,” she says passionately. But to teach someone to find their way around the world is no trifling task at all, as teachers themselves must be utterly sensitive to the needs of their students without ever forgetting that learning never ends. She says, “The best teacher shows you what to look for, but does not tell you what to see.”
The role she plays as an administrator is one of evolution, adopting ideals as she goes, emulating people who impacted her immensely. One such person she drew from was the Headmaster of the second school she taught at. “He could walk into the class singing for the children. At the same time, if he goes to the next floor and sees something going wrong he gives them a good spank” she says with a smile of fond reminiscence upon her face.
His manner of dealing with teachers was something she always liked since he’d always make it a point to set things right with a ‘hello’ if he had scolded a teacher that day. This ability to discipline and lead without resorting to a heart of steel and an iron fist was a skill she sought. The task is not without trials however as she cites a recurring dilemma she faces as a Principal that parents come to her requesting that their child’s mark sheet be doctored and she has to reiterate time and time again that it cannot be done. “This is an educational institution. And I am teaching moral values. If I do this myself, what am I conveying to my children?” she asks compellingly.
It always comes down to the children and what’s best for them. Having been a Principal for so long has given her much insight into the behaviour of her students. She laments that children have become highly reserved these days, unlike before when they used to be very close and liked sharing thoughts with adults. “They don’t know that we’re not always there to criticise them, that we’d love to be of help to them,” which is why she believes that school is so important, to coax children out of their shells, give them the interaction that they lack owing to the work pressure on their parents.
Her ideals certainly show their results in numbers as UIS now boasts a strength of over 6030 students – a far cry from the original 150 who were present when she joined the school in 1992 immediately after the Invasion. Now sporting a new building, UIS has the largest number of students in Kuwait as a single school running in a single shift. And what could be the reason for such strength? “I think it is the 3 D’s – the Distance, Discipline and Dedication,” she says considering the school’s location, the discipline it instils and the endless dedication of her teachers of which she is most proud and grateful. She credits these teachers largely for the fine blend of academics and sports that UIS flaunts. Having studied in a convent school that paid great attention to academics and sports and having her role model of a Headmaster do so as well, it was natural for Susan Roy to feel keen about them.
The victories at UIS have been hard-earned with teachers going into the desert to train children owing to a lack of school grounds. And yet, having trained within 2 small basketball grounds, she says triumphantly, “Hats off to my teachers, we won the Girls Basketball Cluster for the 10th consecutive year this year!”Then again, it would all be for nought without the endless support, encouragement and faith that the Chairman, Mr. Thomas Chandy MLA, has had in her all along, as she insists emphatically, “I will be ever grateful to my chairman for this!”
Delighted at the efforts of her students and teachers and the constant support of the management, she now looks forward envisioning ahigher level of student achievement, a wholly satisfied and cooperative parent community and better infrastructure. UIS is already on its way, incorporating technology to enhance education with smart boards installed in around 25 classrooms with the goal set for all classrooms. Ever-thoughtful about what to do for her children and ever-grateful for the work of her teachers, a family has no doubt been formed as evident when she most fondly speaks of them as ‘my children’ and ‘my teachers’ with that smile on her face – a countenance that rings of that Headmaster she looked up to…
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