A positive influence for 33 years

POLOKWANE – “My religion, my wife and children and most of all, that I may be a positive influence on just one of my learners, are the ultimate motivation in my life,” said Ahmed Vania.

Vania is a teacher at Taxila Secondary School and has been teaching at the school for 33 years.

He was one of the first teachers when the school opened in 1982.

“I am part of the furniture at Taxila. I taught in both the old and new South Africa and I saw how the school transformed from Apartheid to democracy, from an Indian school to a multi-cultural school and each moment was memorable and added value to my life as a teacher,” Vania said.

Vania matriculated at the Pietersburg Indian High School in 1978 and graduated at the Transvaal College of Education in 1981.

Asked if it was always his dream to become a teacher, Vania said “no”.

“I wanted to become a motor mechanic, but instead of fixing cars, I am fixing people. I enjoy working with learners because each one has a different personality and I get to play a big role in shaping the leaders of tomorrow with each learner that I teach,” Vania said.

Vania teaches social science and life orientation to gr. 8 to gr. 11 learners.

“Taxila was a combined school before and I taught almost all the subjects to both primary and high school learners. The only subjects I haven’t taught are English and Afrikaans,” Vania said.

The father of four daughters and 10 grandchildren said the best part of being a teacher was field work.

“When we go on field trips and explore the world with the learners, that is amazing,” Vania said.

According to Vania, the best way to handle a difficult learner was to ignore him or her.

“They crave attention and by ignoring them, they will stop whatever they are doing. When I teach I choose the method of bringing current happenings into my lessonS because when learners relate to the situation, they will understand the work better and remember it during the examination,” Vania said.

Asked what his most memorable moment as a teacher at Taxila was, Vania said he had two.

“The teachers school concert in 2002, where the teachers showed the learners how it’s done.

“The theme was Fun in the Sun. The teachers dressed up in different costumes and had a mini concert for the learners. Also the school’s 30th anniversary in 2011 is a special moment to me,” Vania said.