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The following was sent into us by Ruth Shean 1971-1973

 
We were all corralled at Claremont Teacher’s College. It was explained to us — outside because we were a large group — that there would be two year training intakes and three year training intakes. I thought carefully about this and decided if I was ever going to upgrade to something else, it made sense to do the longer course. Whole groups of us were then directed to MLTC and off we set, in a range of available cars. In the first few days, we were sorted into class groups, ours being primarily students who had matriculated in maths and science. I think that the intent behind this was to offer us a place at STC/UWA to convert to high school maths and science teachers. I recall that at least one of our classmates did this — Clive Choate. I was happy to keep going on the MLTC pathway. I was really enjoying the course, and liked the fact that I could work flat out while I was there but do my extra curricular activity such as music and yachting during other times. Looking back, I think we were well taught for a whole range of classes and circumstances, down to Jean Farrant who taught us how to conduct a choir with either a tennis ball or darts action! This came in handy when I later became a music teacher.
 
I wanted to be a teacher — not forever, but to start my career. I had found matriculation stressful — we sat leaving exams AND matriculation. I was encouraged to study law or journalism, but I felt that the employment opportunities for teaching were far and wide and — as my mother said — it was a sensible thing to do until I was married! The bonding arrangements suited me, because I felt that I would need to teach for at least three years to earn some money and gain experience. And I loved kids, and believe in the teaching profession. I had some excellent teachers of my own at primary and high school. These teachers were great role models for this profession and my own teaching career.
 
I have mentioned that we were generally a diligent group. When we did sewing, we were all required to prepare samples of knitting, crochet and embroidery. Most of us had done sufficient of this at school to be proficient, but set about dutifully working on our samples, often during other lessons. It is not difficult to sew, knit or crochet while listening. This became very popular, until large groups of students would happily proceed with their stitching work during all sorts of lectures. After a while, there was a polite request that we desist from such behaviour. I believe that some lecturers felt that we were not giving their topic our full attention.
 
There was a group of us girls who hung our together — Heidi Gfeller, Cathy Abe, Jo Nieuwkerk. I was of the view that if we worked as hard during the day as we possibly could, we would have more time to do the things that we wanted to do after hours. So we were frequently found working together, during lunch times and other breaks. We were a collaborative team who worked really well together on grouped class assignments. We would divide up the research, go off and do our own pieces of work, bring it back together and work out how best to join it up, then someone would write it up in a single hand. I don’t think that I ever had to do the handwriting, because I was as bad at writing as I was good at grammar. It was round about this time that I realised my study would be well served by my learning to type. By the time I left MLTC, I was a proficient if unorthodox typist. To this day, my typing is still unorthodox, but fast and reasonably accurate.
 
We all did different majors so in our third year we didn’t share all of our class time together, but still hung out with each other for the most part. Add to that, we were all away the full term of long-term prac at the start of third year [1973 for us] so all the friendship groups broke up a little. I did music and photography. I was already a pianist, but enjoyed recorder work and joined a recorder consort — for a brief period. I was not a talented recorder player because I never managed a mellow tone. [I am now learning bagpipes which is more suited to my style!]
 
While we weren’t pub attendees at lunch time, we did enjoy the greater freedoms which went with post-school studies. Some lecturers regarded us as school kids — which we pretty much were — but others were very encouraging of our transition to a tertiary environment. I have very fond memories of many lecturers, chief among which was Sybe Jongeling. Mr Jongeling was a superb lecturer, with a dry sense of humour and an enduring belief in our capacity. Others for whom I had tremendous admiration included Lew Eborall, Len McKenna and Addy Hayes — later Addy Carroll. Addy was a compassionate phys ed lecturer for us, and especially welcomed by me for whom my academic strengths did not include phys ed. I remember Addie teaching us the song Bingo and despairing — with good humour — at the folk dancing capability of us all, but especially one classmate who could not skip! Most of all, I remember swimming lessons with Addy at the Inglewood pool. We had to do various strokes and other things to pass swimming. The only one that filled me with utter terror was the diving board dive. A dive for me — a good Aussie kid — was to jump in the water holding my nose. The compromise — jumping from the 3m diving board holding my nose. I am eternally grateful to Addy for this gesture. She remains a friend to this day. 
 
Of the standout events at MLTC, I am almost ashamed to say that the one thing that sprang to mind was the establishment of the coffee shop! When we came back from long-term prac in 1973, there was a coffee shop on campus. We all quickly became coffee junkies. Because we were all doing different things course-wise, we would meet in the coffee shop daily and exchange news. But there were other similarly important developments. The new lecture theatre was a huge attribute to the college although by the time that was built we were mainly into small group lectures and learning. I certainly appreciated it when studying for my BEd. When we started at MLTC, the Bradford Street building was by no means complete. Indeed, the only playing fields were in the park over the road. I remember us all planting trees early on. I am delighted to see that these are still standing — around the car park off Bradford Street.
 
But chief among the stand-outs, MLTC prepared me for everything — tiny tots, primary kids and even older students — high school and university. I graduated feeling confident, and enjoyed my teaching years enormously. When I went back to ML to complete my degree, I felt comfortable in the environment. I still believe that this was a key factor in my later successful studies. I am very grateful to all for the opportunity to study in this way — my school teachers, the ML lecturers, my parents and the governments of the day. It was a terrific start to tertiary education. I am especially grateful to those lecturers such as Sybe Jongeling who told me to have faith in my own capacity.