‘Grab second opportunities’, Sir Clenkian counsels

WHEN SECOND OPPORTUNITIES COME GRAB THEM counselled retired school
teacher and former Toshao of St Cuthbert’s Mission Leeland Clenkian in an exclusive with
www.aroundtheregions.com.
“I would say for those who don’t maximise on the opportunity presented they would have missed
an excellent opportunity. The reality is that for many of us who may have been diligent or unable
to pursue higher education because of not having the prerequisite qualifications and or money,
this was our chance…” Clenkian stressed.
Sir Clenkian as he is affectionately known in St Cuthbert’s Mission, an almost 200-year-old
Amerindian community in the Mahaica River and about 45 miles from the capital city,
Georgetown, was first an educator-turned-soldier before returning to the classroom until his
retirement.
When the government’s Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) initiative was launched
nationwide, Clenkian spotted his second chance of advanced learning and wit boosts from
community members, and a shot in the arm from legislator, Deputy Speaker of the National
Assembly, Mr. Lennox Shuman, a former Toshao from St Cuthbert’s, he applied for a
scholarship.
“This was a blessing in disguise,” he admitted.
“;I have taught for more than two thirds of my life. I started off as a pupil teacher (PT)…at the St.
Francis school, which is based in Mahaicony. It is now known as Moraikobai Primary. I taught
there from 1964 to 1966," he remembered.
He left for a stint with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) where he spent six years when the
‘teaching bug’ bit him again he learnt of an opening in St Cuthbert’s in 1974. And as we say,
‘the rest is history.

“I started at St Cuthbert’s Primary in 1974 and taught mainly Standards Five and Six…grades
that I enjoyed teaching. Throughout my teaching career these were the two grades that I have
focused upon heavily,”
He remained there for the next 25 years.
Sir Clenkian was never able over those long years as an educator to advance his learning. With
GOAL, he grabbed that opportunity with both his experienced septuagenarian hands which
worked diligently in to improve pre, and post-independent Guyana.
“It’s my view that an elevated education…helps you to get so much wiser, so much more
intellectual so that you can share with others once you are alive. If you have a nimble brain, you
can further help society coupled with your years of experience and new found knowledge, as
you’ve expanded and extended your intellect. I think that there are a lot of pluses in this
programme and those who applied, it was a good move,” he explained.
“I am looking for self-satisfaction in securing a degree,” the retired educator existing on his Old
Age and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) pensions and still enjoys giving lessons to students
within his community.
And yes! You guessed it correctly! Lessons are still for students in Grades Five and Six.
For Clenkian, life-long learning should be everyone’s primary objective. During the period when
GOAL was opened for application, he challenged many in the community to take the advantage
of another chance for self-improvement.
But his long-life taught him to be among other things, a realist.
“Unfortunately, a lot of young people do not see it that way. What they see are the dollars,
thus they are not making use of it (GOAL) intellectually. We have only a few university
graduates from this community”, Clenkian lamented.