WOOLHOPE Secondary School’s head of department, Jithendra Chowhan, retired on June 30, after an illustrious career in education which lasted almost 42 years.
He was first appointed at the school on January 1, 1978, as a mathematics and accounting teacher and joined the Bethelsdorp High School team in 1980 under the well-known principal, the late Raymond Uren.
A significant turn took place in his career when he was interviewed for a financial position in a multinational company.
From a long list of applicants, Chowhan was successfully appointed as a financial analyst in January 1981, at the Ford Motor Company.
“It was indeed a proud moment in my life to be the second Indian at Ford Motor Company’s head office in Port Elizabeth, taking into account the job reservation policy under the apartheid system in those days.
“Unfortunately, Ford was forced to disinvest because of sanctions to break down the unfair apartheid regime,” Chowhan said.
“It was at that point the so-called Department of Indian Affairs contacted me for a mathematics and accounting post back at Woolhope Indian High School in 1985,” he added.
Chowhan was employed at Vista University as a part time lecturer during 1995 and 1996.
In 2012, he also did a part time stint at Nelson Mandela University.
Chowhan said he was also involved in the 1980s in the establishment of a teachers’ soccer league, where all the teachers from the different schools located in the Northern Areas competed with one another.
During his last tenure, from February 18, 1985, to date, he served the Education Department in various areas.
He was involved in tutoring in the ABET classes for adults who are in full-time employment, but want to further their studies part time.
Chowhan added, “I also assisted by tutoring learners in the matric intervention programmes and took upon many duties from marker to chief examiner and also assumed duty as chief moderator for accounting.
“I always motivated many learners towards a career in chartered accounting.
“To date three of my learners have landed jobs as actuaries.”
