Teacher-Team Nalong calls it a day

“ Teachers must not work for money but for the students you teach.”

By GLORIA BAUAI
RETIRED teacher Sam Nalong believes in that famous quote by former US President John F Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.”
After 44 years of teaching without taking any long-service leave, Sam, 63, from Siassi, Morobe, has called it a day.
“It was a ministry chosen for me by God as stated in Jeremiah 1:5.”
Straight out of Form Two (now Grade Eight) in 1972, Sam attended the Port Moresby Teachers College for two years. He graduated as teacher in 1975, the year of Independence.
His first posting was to Eastern Highlands where he also met and married Reety Joseph, also from Siassi, who was teaching in the province. They have three children: son Desmond, daughters Samantha and Sareena.
Sam and wife Reety retired on Jan 27, 2020 and plan to move back to their home island Siassi by the end of the year.
In 1981, after five years of teaching, Sam returned to school to complete grades 9 and 10. He also completed a diploma in teaching programme.
He spent his final years of teaching in Morobe at the Markham Road Primary and Igam Barracks Primary.
He climbed the ladder to deputy head teacher, then head teacher, then a Level Eight teacher in 2012.
“I witnessed the education system go through many changes.”
Sam became a member of the PNG Teachers Association, the Provincial Education Board, the Top Management Team, the Education Curriculum Board and a director of the Teachers Savings and Loans body.
He has already turned down offers for education office roles such as school inspector.
“To be honest, I am so relaxed and happy now although I miss teaching. Education is my life.”
Wife Reety, who served as a teacher for 42 years, credits her husband or his contribution to the country’s education curriculum reform.

“His legacy is the standard-based curriculum currently in use.”
She praises him for his ability to “listen and take advice and ideas from the staff, even the cleaner”.
“He is a man of integrity, has a strong character and is very patient and humble.
“He dedicated his life to his job, being the first one in school and last to leave school. To tell you the truth, I always told him: You are married to your job because he would bring his work home and can stay up until 4 am, sleep for only two hours and is up again for school.”
She sees their retirement as a blessing.
“Yes his retirement is a loss to the education sector, but it is a blessing for me indeed.”
Sam’s advice to teachers is to be honest, transparent and accountable about their work.
“Teachers must not work for money but for the students you teach.”
For that is why it is called the noble profession.