A Teacher who Loves Photography: Edward Greenawald

In November 2017, I received a parcel from Greensboro, North Carolina, USA - a package that carried with it both surprise and nostalgia. Inside were 155 black-and-white photographs, each a window into the 1960s. They had been sent by one of my former teachers, an American who had come to Jesselton in the 1960s under the Lutheran Church of America (LCA) to serve as a teacher at Lok Yuk Secondary School. Holding those photos in my hands felt like being transported back in time, to an era that shaped both my school days and the community around us.

After more than half a century, Mr. Edward Greenawald - still a bachelor and now well advanced in age - decided to entrust these old photographs to someone who might find value in them. And indeed, they have found their purpose. Several of these historical gems have since been carefully selected by the School Management Board and are now proudly displayed along the “History Walk” of SM Lok Yuk in Likas, where they serve as a visual reminder of the school’s rich past.

Lok Yuk Secondary School is truly fortunate to have had a teacher like Mr. Greenawald, who not only dedicated himself to the classroom but also to documenting life through the lens of his camera. With patience and passion, he captured countless moments of school life in the 1960s - moments that might otherwise have been lost to time.

Almost all his former students remember him vividly: the teacher in his signature khaki shorts, easygoing in nature, warm, approachable, and always ready with a smile. He was among the most well-liked teachers in the school, and it is little wonder that, even after more than fifty years, his ex-students - now well into their sixties and seventies - remain eager to reconnect with him. He truly made a difference in their lives, leaving behind memories and impressions that have endured long after those days faded into history.

Edward posed with another LCA teacher, Mr. Gores at their residence at Kampong Basel. Kampong Basel is now where Wisma BCCM, the headquarters of Basel Christian Church of Malaysia is situated.

I remember Edward most vividly as my Mathematics teacher, and to a lesser extent, my special English teacher. As my very first Math teacher in secondary school, he left a lasting impression. Under his guidance, I did well, largely because of his unique way of motivating students to enjoy the subject. In one exam, for instance, he introduced “bonus” questions alongside the regular set. His idea was simple yet effective: if students struggled with some of the standard questions, they could attempt the bonus ones to make up marks. For those who did well, the bonus questions were a chance to stretch themselves further. I still recall answering every single regular question correctly, as well as all the bonus ones - though, of course, the maximum mark awarded was still capped at 100!

At that time, many of us were fresh from Chinese-medium primary schools, and our command of English - both spoken and written - was terribly weak. Recognizing this, the school management introduced special English classes to help us bridge the gap. Mr. Greenawald was assigned to lead these sessions. Each afternoon, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., all Form 1 students gathered for the lessons, which focused on improving both pronunciation and grammar. The teaching method was unusual yet effective: it resembled the liturgical call-and-response of a church service, where the teacher would say a phrase or sentence and the entire class would repeat in unison. It went something like this…

Teacher: I go to school.

Students in unison: I go to school.

Teacher: We.

Students in unison: We go to school.

Teacher: He.

Students in unison: He goes to school.

Teacher: Now.

Students in unison: He is going to school now.

Teacher: Yesterday.

Students in unison: He went to school yesterday.

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My ex-classmates still smile whenever they recall those chanting-style language lessons - rhythmic, repetitive, and, in their own way, almost therapeutic!

Left: Edward Greenawald in the 1960's and Right: Current.

Year 1965

Mr. Greenawald was once photographed relaxing with a group of Form 1 students during the morning break by the old Chapel. True to his easygoing nature, he blended effortlessly with the students, who felt comfortable hanging around him as though he were one of their buddies rather than a distant authority figure. (I am pictured on the left.)

Teaching staff of 1965  (taken in Dec 1965)
posed in front of the old staff room at the
old school premise at Signal Hill, KK.
Ed is at back row 4th from right.

Amazingly, after more than half a century, the old school block where the staff room was housed is still around. The building has become the Married Students Quarters of the Sabah Theological Seminary.

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A number of these photographs have since been selected for display in the "Historical Corridor" of the current school premises in Likas - a corridor within the school compound dedicated to displaying historical photos of the early years of the school.