Kamalinee bids farewell to treasured teacher

It was a tearful assembly at Kamalinee Primary School as the staff and pupils bid farewell to one of its much-loved teachers on Wednesday, 26 September. Saloshnee Pillay (53) is relocating to Gauteng with her husband Rajan who has been received a work transfer.

She has been teaching for 31 years, 30 of which have been at Kamalinee since she joined the Lotus Park school in 1989.  Friday, 28 September marked her last day at the school and will take up a post at Primrose Hills Primary School in Germiston at the beginning of the fourth term.

Saloshnee was born in Chatsworth and attended Seven Hills Primary School and Brindhavan High School before completing her teaching degree at the then University of Durban Westville. “I did think of other careers but I always had a passion for teaching,” she said.

In her first year of teaching, she taught at various schools before finding her home at Kamalinee, where she taught grade 7 maths and social science (history and geography), and grade 5 physical education.

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Saloshnee and Rajan have two daughters – Chanelle (26), who works in Johannesburg and Kinisha (22), who is studying at Stellenbosch University. “A part of me is looking forward to the move, as I will be reunited with my family.

“Kamalinee is a fine institution. It has grown and developed over the years. It is unique. It has been my safe haven over the past 30 years. You only realise its value when you have to leave it.

“I will miss the wonderful people I have worked with. I call them my family. None of us work in isolation – the togetherness has helped make me the person I am today. I will especially miss my children – I call all my pupils my children. The funny thing is over the years the pupils became my teacher and taught me.”

Kamalinee principal, Jagatheesan Naidoo said it was a bitter and sad day at school when they had to say goodbye. “Over the years, Mrs Pillay has made an invaluable contribution to the corporate life of the school. Her commitment to her work, colleagues and pupils is indeed most admired.

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Pillay, who was part of the management team, played an instrumental role in the school receiving its accolades. She has been one of the leading grade 7 mathemathics teachers, not only in the circuit of Isipingo, but in the province of KZN.

“Hundreds of pupils have passed through her expert tutoring and she has even taught the children of her past pupils. She is a great teacher who has always put the interests of every single pupil first. Her passion, wisdom, love and devotion to duty is most admirable. She has truly been one of the most outstanding teachers we have had at the school,” said Naidoo.