Archives
J. P Sequeira
P.N.Bhojarao
Fr. Alfred Roche
Yajna Narayana Rao
|
SHRI JEROMME R.M.PICARDO
The ‘Barkur Wall of Hall of Fame’, decorated with, attractive
personalities occupied very little portion of it. This time,
barkuronline, feel it is our proud privilege to write couple of
lines on yet another great man of yesterday, the ideal Teacher at
our National High School Barkur – Jerome R. M. Picardo.
It was a common saying in the corridors of the Junior College that,
if anyone, may it be a student or the teacher, if he has any
un-resolved query on Language English or in Mathematics, as his
knowledge was amazing, it was this Mr Picardo the last
resort, for a solution! A genius in his own right, many of us will
remain ever grateful to Almighty, for being taught by him.
Early days:
Born, on
18th June 1932, as a proud son of Denis and Pricilla
Picardo the then ‘landlords of Barkur’ in real terms, he was a
Prince in the family. He had two sisters one elder who later
joined Sisters of Charity to be known as Sr.Romana Picardo
and the younger one Ms Queine Picardo who remained with her
brother till the end in their ancestral palatial house in
Pandeshwar. A career of great academic records with B.A., and B.T.
from prestigious institutions, viz SSLC from Milagres High
School, Kallianpur and graduation from St. Aloysius
College, Mangalore, he started his professional marathon
innings at the native place as a High School teacher, at the age
of only 20, in the year 1952!
As an High School Teacher:
Thirty eight years of dedicated service in this royal profession,
Mr. Picardo might have interacted, moulded, educated tens of
hundreds students. His proficiency in English was so complete and
was able to transmit the same in his students. Still the idioms
and phrases, the sentence structure and the grammatical
perfection, though we may not able to master but owe lot to this
man. The speciality with him is out of some 30 lessons he used to
complete only a third of the syllabus, but the volume we learned,
much more enough for lifetime, though too little for the Class
exam. In other words he taught something to utilise for life long.
When it comes to Mathematics, he was at his best to teach Geometry
and Arithmetic. Algebra a subject allergic to few like us was a
bitter pill, he enjoyed most to teach and by his efforts children
cultivated interest. His special tactics of explaining complicated
theorems always remembered and we heard the students now grown-up
adopt the same to teach their kids!
Equally interested in games his love for Cricket was enormous, a
regular Teacher / Students team member, well known for boundaries,
of course he preferred a runner for him, his witty comments on the
crease or off the ground were highly humorous and relaxing!
Mr Picardo’s father Mr Denis Picardo, the then Vice President of the
Panchayat Board, was the correspondent of the National High School
and when the High School was upgraded as Junior College, it was
the responsibility of the core committee consisting the Head
Master P.N.Bhoja Rao and him, to select the right Lecturers and
the Principal to lead the growing Institution, which he done with
utmost integrity and justice.
Many may not know, in absence of a suitable full time English
Lecturer, in the beginning, it was Mr Picardo volunteered to teach
PUC also!
He never tolerated superstitions and blind beliefs, even at the cost
friends becoming foes; he had Lions courage and fought for the
right cause till the end.
Mr Picardo volunteered retirement in the year 1990, due to ill
health, but always helped the students who seek his guidance.
As a silent social reformer:
In this world most of us crave for name and fame but Mr Picardo was
an exception though he was a generous and regular contributor to
Church charity work, never expected his name being announced in
public. He was a permanent member of Parish Council and served in
different capacities as Vice President, and Auditor for Church
Accounts, for record decades. He was also office bearer of
St.Peter’s Association, Barkur in 60 / 70s, an active cultural
platform of the time. He was also active member of Barkur
Educational Society, and instrumental in the
improvements of various Institutions. Being an open hearted man,
he was a guide, inspiration and model to many a teachers, around
Barkur, once who were his students
Family and personal Life:
Mr Picardo married to Rita Lewis of Kemmanu on
9th January 1964,
and blessed with three equally talented daughters, all well
educated – Margaret, Yvette and Nunilla.
At his appearance seems to be a serious person, when mixed with
people, his participation itself an enjoyment. The family
inherited vast land and property, suffered a lot because of
shortage of labour to cultivate and left the huge house in
Pandeshwar to shift in front of the Church. The pulls and
pressures and few legal battles, cost him his health and on
2nd August 1995,
he breathed his last at the age of 63 only. A life dedicated to
Society, especially Education thus comes to an end. A wonderful
father’s memory remains as the guiding star to the children and
admirers as well.
Conclusion:
The man counted to be a rich at the time an average Catholic
household of Barkur striving hard to earn for a decent standard of
living, this man chosen to teach thousands how to catch fish for a
better tomorrow. Many of his students reached great heights of
success but they still remember the ‘lessons of life’ taught by
their favourite teacher!
Today half of Indian population can read and write, but when Mr
Picardo started his career this percentage may be 15% and that too
High School was a high qualification only few could aspire – in
his 38 years of service in the National Junior College, he has
seen great transformation and progress in Barkur and may be very
happy to see his students excel in their career and standard of
life and living. By recognising and valuing the sacrifices oven Mr
Picardo, we at Barkuronline, are respecting the untiring efforts
of all Teachers of this town!
On behalf of Barkuronline and his Old Students,
P.Archibald Furtado,
Muscat,
11th June 2004. |
