SIMON D’ Lima, the celebrated educationist, who died recently, served the cause of education for over 50 years. After retiring from St Patrick’s High School, Karachi, he became principal of PAF Model School, Drigh Road, now Fazaia (PAF) Degree College, and also founded St Peter’s High School.

He was my mathematics teacher in Class X. When I came to his class in 1959, I was extremely weak in the subject and scored four out of 100 in the first monthly test.

He did not spare the rod but his methods were very effective. I was required to report to his residence every day after school where for two hours I solved textbook exercises.

My next monthly test produced 10 out of 100 marks to which he remarked: ‘Improving’. This after-school duty was a sort of forced tuition for which he did not ask to be paid and went on for several months until my grades improved.

Owing to his extraordinary efforts, I was able to score 79 per cent in the matriculation examinations.

Needless to say, he was very strict in the class. When the bell rang for his period, all conversation would stop and eyes riveted on the door. You could hear a pin drop. After the prelims, however, when he saw that his charismatic technique had worked its magic, he relaxed the rules and became friendly. That was when we saw through his scheme and realised that had it not been for his extreme strictness, we would not have become good at mathematics.

I spent only a year with him but remember him as the best teacher I ever had. I consider myself lucky to have been in his class.

Asif Jah
Karachi