I am 78.

In 1956, I was in the Year Five in primary school in Western Australia.

I was behind, having been being kept back in an earlier grade.

Things picked up for me when I was in Year Five because we had a new headmaster teacher Mr Foley. He took a real interest in me and said that I’d done very well in Year Five and he would help and support me to move from Year Five to Year Seven in 1957.

That’s what happened. All those decades ago he lifted me from feeling miserable and down on myself to somebody who was worthwhile. He was decades before his time for he supported students and was very much a people person.

He was the best teacher I ever had and I remember him to this day with appreciation. Hopefully, I was able to model myself as a teacher in the school principal along the lines of his example.