Month: May 2025

U Myint Sein (GBNF)

• U Myint Sein attended Private Primary Boundary Road School (PPBRS)
• Mmoved to St. Paul’s High School (SPHS) and matriculated in 1964
• Studied B.Com at the Institute of Economics (IE).
• He is a cousin brother of U Nyunt Tin (M70, RIT Table Tennis).

• Served as Principal of BARB (Burma Astro Research Bureau).
  Requested me to develop Bedin programs.
  I supervised Ko Win Latt and Ko Zaw Tun for the Bedin program development.
  
• Taught Medical Astrology at the School of Indigenous Medicine (Taing Yin Saya Pyinnya) in Mandalay.
  
• He founded “Idea Astrology”.

Dr. Aung Win Chiong and Dr. Min Lwin

In the Matriculation of 1964, Dr. Cherry Hlaing and Dr. Lyn Aung Thet had the highest marks. They are considered Joint First in the examination.

The controversial ILA system was used to admit students to the Universities and Institutes. Dr. Cherry Hlaing who had an ILA score of 50 was admitted as the Top student to IM(1). She was also selected Tekkatho Luyechun for Inlay Khaung Daing Camp in the summer of 1965.

Dr. Lyn Aung Thet had four distinctions, but his Burmese scores were not high enough to get the perfect ILA score of 50. He was an multi-athlete and led IM(1) in Swimming and Water Polo. He was elected Luyechun in a subsequent year.

Dr. Aung Win (Lam Peng Chiong, SPHS64) was a few marks behind Dr. Cherry Hlaing and Dr. Lyn Aung Thet. So, many consider him to be Third in Matriculation (based on marks). But, he also had an ILA of 50 and was admitted to IM(2) as Roll Number One (top student).

An Indian student was Fourth.

Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice Hla Kyi, SPHS64) was Fifth. He was admitted to IM(2) as Roll Number Two.

Others from SPHS 1964

• U Aung Myint (UCC)
• U Khin Maung Maung (Alfred, GBNF)
• U Maung Maung Gyi (Henry, UCC, GBNF)

SPHS 1965

• Last Batch before Nationalization

Top Matriculates

• Bernard Khaw (Highest marks)
• Maung Aye (Second Highest marks)
• Winston Sein Maung (Third Highest marks)
• Dr. Yi Thway (Fifth Highest marks, Admitted as Roll Number One to IM1)
• Dr. Paing Soe (Freddie, Joint Fifth Highest marks, Admitted as Roll Number Two to IM1)
  
• About forty Paulians were admitted to IM1 and IM2

Matriculation of 1963

The first Matriculation Only examination was held in 1963.

St. Paul’s High School (SPHS) students did well in the examination.

There were

• Five students in the Top Five
• Seven students in the Top Ten
• Nine students in the Top Fifteen
• Ten students in the Top Twenty

In Order of Merit

• Khin Maung U (First in Burma)
• Min Oo (Second)
• Myo San (Third)
• Nyunt Wai (Fourth)
• Thein Wai (Fifth)
• Hla Min (Seventh)
• Aung Kyaw Zaw (Ninth)
• Maung Maung Kyi (Eleventh)
• Aung Thu Yein (Thirteenth)
• Khin Maung Zaw (Seventeenth)

Studies

• Khin Maung U, Myo San, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, Aung Kyaw Zaw and Khin Maung Zaw chose to study Medicine.
• Min Oo chose to study Mathematics.
• Hla Min, Maung Maung Kyi and Aung Thu Yein chose to study Engineering and/or Computer Science.

Collegiate Scholarships

The ten students were awarded Collegiate Scholarship of 75 Kyats per month.

SPHS Award Ceremony

The ten students were awarded prizes and certificates by SPHS.

Seated

• Min Oo (Kenneth Khine, 2nd)
• Khin Maung U (George Khin Maung, 1st in Burma)
• Myo San (Freddie Ba San, 3rd, GBNF)

Standing

• Hla Min (7th)
• Khin Maung Zaw (Frank Gale, 17th)
• Nyunt Wai (Victor Nyunt, 4th)
• Thein Wai (5th)
• Maung Maung Kyi (11th)
• Aung Thu Yein (Brownie Way, 13th, GBNF)
• Aung Kyaw Zaw (Johnny Maung Maung, 9th)

Old Paulian’s Association

The ten students were invited as Guests of Honor to the Annual Dinner of the Old Paulian’s Association (OPA)
See Photos (4) and (5)

Dr. Nyan Taw (SPHS63) wrote :

The only year that achieved seven of the top ten. Proud to be in the same batch- SPHS 1963

Fred Thetgyi (M69) wrote :

Very impressive school, teachers and students. Can we ever find such a combination in Myanmar now? Brilliant time in education history.

Khin Maung Zaw (SPHS70) wrote :

KJ, your batch, 1963, from SPHS was one of the best AFAIK, and there probably were couple of other SPHS batches. Mine, 1970, was not so bad, but not as good as the earlier batches.

I long for the day, SPHS would get back to its past glory!!!!

Dr. Kyaw Min (SPHS65) wrote :

Our class of SPHS65, the last matriculated Paulians was an another notable batch. There were 4 or 5 persons in top 10 positions including first and second places. The lone 4 distinctions holder Bernie (Bernard) Khaw was in first position. Second was also from our batch besides 85 percent matriculated with most of them with distinctions. More than 40 gained entrance to MC(1) as well as to RIT at the same rate.

Editor’s Notes:

Due to various reasons (medical, personal, family), some students missed the chance to excel in the Matriculation examinations, but they went on to have doctorates and illustrious careers including professorships.

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint (SPHS60) stood Sixth in the Matriculation of 1960. He missed the top five spots by a mark each. The Brothers were disappointed although 20+ SPHS students received Collegiate Scholarship.

He worked at the Rangoon Children’s Hospital an taught Pediatrics. He was forced to resign for his involvement in 8-8-88 protest.

He worked for

• UNICEF Myanmar for two years
• China for two years
• Bangladesh for six years
• Oskistan for three and a half years
• Three and a half years in the Pacific based in Fiji

After retirement, he moved to Canberra, Australia.

He considers me as a member of his family. Our parents were Dhamma friends. He took care of the health of my then-young sons.

He was organizer of the “Alumni of the Medical Institutes in Myanmar“.

He added insightful comments to my Trivia posts. Some are about his father and six siblings. Some are about names of notable Burmese professionals.

I re-posted a few of his blogs : one about U Tin Tut and another about his bright classmates and students.

Others from SPHS 1960

• Dr. Myint Tun (Henry Cho Tun)
  Former Associate Professor of Chemistry, RASU
  Gold Medal for scoring highest total marks for I.Sc.(A) and I.Sc.(B) combined
  
• U Thaung Lwin
  RUBC Captain and Gold
  Worked for IBM Burma
  Retired after working in Singapore
  
• U Myo Myint
  RUBC Gold
  Vice Chair, RUBC Souvenir Magazine for 90th Anniversary
  
• U Than Htut
  RUBC Gold
  
• Dr. Min Lwin
  Orthopedic Surgeon
  
• Dr. Saw Naing (Henry)
  
• Dr. Than Toe
  Administrator, YUBC
  Rehabilitation
  
• Dr. Khin Zaw
  Former Rector, Institute of Education

• Ko Aung Myint (SPHS64, UCC) sent me a photo of SPHS Bakery.
• During our SPHS days, the shop was located near the Gate of Bo Aung Kyaw (Sparks Street).
  It sold bread and Bombay Toast.
• Vendors sold Mohinga and other food in the open building which is used for Drill Practice.
  
• Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint wrote : My favorite was cream buns !
• Robert Win Boh wrote : The daughter of SHHS Bakery owner attended SHHS (Sacred Heart High School).
  She was my classmate till Middle School Classes – but not matriculated as she got married in High School age & left School
• Tin Aung Win wrote : I like raisin buns.
• Ngwe Tun Tun wrote : I like cream bun also.
  It was very fresh and delicious.
• Robert Win Boh wrote : I like simple hot bread to carry home running in the our sack as we live in 32nd Street later 51st Street – 3 / 2 Blocks away.

He was loved by his former students. When he passed away, the cortege left from SPHS (St. Paul’s High School) to the Tamwe Christian Cemetery. When the cars arrived at the Cemetery for the Burial Service, many cars were still leaving SPHS.

His younger brother had a couple of Doctorates, but his teaching was not valued as highly as that of Brother Clementian, who did not have a Doctorate.

Brother Clementian was a Brother Director. He retired from being a Brother Director, but he did not retire from his love of teaching.

It was customary for Brother Directors to go round and inspect the classes. Brother Clementian would not allow the Brother Director or the Assistant Director to come near his class.

Brother Clementian did not know or care if a student is a son of the Prime Minister, Minister or a high ranking official. He treats every student fairly.

He taught High School Mathematics. He had several texts and reference books. He would teach a topic and ask one or more students to go onto the blackboard to show what they have learned and to solve selected problems. He reminded students not to impose unnecessary “restrictions”. For example, if he asked a student to draw a triangle, it should be an arbitrary one (not restricted as an isosceles or equilateral) and it could/should be labeled differently from the one used in his example.

Sad to hear that some present day students do not get marks if they deviate from “rote learning”.

Every student would have two (or more) exercise books, so that he can collect and grade the homework. Every week, he would give a test of three questions to be answered in one hour. This training prepared many students to complete six questions in the Matriculation examination much earlier than the allotted three hours and score Distinctions.

He acknowledges that some students (e.g. Min Oo) are gifted and have learned beyond High School Mathematics.

Many remember his smile, and a few remember the strong finger that he used for poking at “badly behaving” students.

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint (SPHS60) wrote :

I have forgotten the name of the maths textbook. It was a govt prescribed one. There was another book to used in college. Brother Clementian finished was the first book but blithely went in with the book for Inter A during our matrix class. It made the questions in additional maths easier for us because of this.

There was only one person who could beat Brother. Often when a maths problem has been solved by himself, Myo Myint (your brother in law) would shout that he could work out the solution using less number of steps. And he was always correct. Do Si at the end of his working out each tine, he would turn to Myo Myint and asked “Can you do better?” which Myo Myint often could.

Dr. Nyan Taw (SPHS63) wrote :

Brother Clementian taught us mathematics in high school. Seem we were the last lucky group (A&B) he taught before he retired. Min Oo was in A whereas I was in B class. The best maths teacher ever !!!

U Than Win (SPHS63, RIT69er) wrote :

Whenever I find “Sequence Geometry “in the old stock of books I always remember our great Maths teacher. We love and revered but sometime we feel somewhat frightened whenever we lack preparation. The most remembered word in this geometry book is QED (which is to be proved) because he always stare at us and stressed the word whenever the problem is solved.

Gone, gone
But still in our heart.

SPHS (St. Paul’s High School) used to display a “Roll of Honor”. It mainly lists those who finish in the top three positions in the Matriculation examination. It sometimes lists a “block” (1st to 4th in 1959, 1st to 5th in 1963). After nationalization, the Roll of Honor went missing. It was recovered by U Soe Tin (Taw Win Hnin Si / Royal Rose Restaurant).

1951
George Chapman (1st)

1952
Dr. Nyunt Tin (1st)

1954

Koon Yin Chu (A60)

1956
Dr. Than Myint (Harry Wang) Joint 3rd
U Soe Paing 13th

1958
Dr. Soe Win (Chemistry) 1st
Robert Sein (Physics) 2nd

1959
Dr. Frankie Ohn (Hla Tin Ngwe, Physics) 1st
2nd, 3rd and 4th from SPHS

1960
Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint 6th

1961
Dr. Kyaw Win (Robin Ban) 2nd

1963
Dr. Khin Maung Oo 1st
Dr. Min Oo (Mathematics) 2nd
Dr. Myo San (Freddie, GBNF) 3rd
Dr. Nyunt Wai (Victor) 4th
Dr. Thein Wai 5th
Hla Min (EC69) 7th
Dr. Aung Kyaw Zaw (Johnny Maung Maung) 9th
Maung Maung Kyi (Dip Ing) 11th
Aung Thu Yein (Brownie Way, EC69, GBNF) 13th
Dr. Khin Maung Zaw (Frank Gale) 17th

1964
Dr. Min Lwin (Maurice Hla Kyi) 2nd

1965
Bernard Khaw 1st

Notes :

George Chapman is the son of Saya Chapman, who published English notes for use by high school students.

Dr. Nyunt Tin is the son of Sithu U Tin (President, RUBC) and the brother of U Han Tin (Past Captain and Gold, RUBC).

Dr. Myo Tint (Past Captain and Gold, RUBC), younger brother of Saya U Tin U (Past Captain and Gold, RUBC) and Saya U Ba Than, stood 3rd from TTC Practicing School.

Koon Yin Chu (Philip) stood first in A60.

In 1956, St. Peter’s High School (Mandalay) scored 1st, 2nd and Joint 3rd.

Dr. Soe Win, son of Saya Sein and nephew of Saya Kyaw Sein, served as Rector of UFL.

Robert Sein’s sister Wendy is the spouse of Dr. Thein Htut (RUBC Gold).

Dr. Frankie Ohn is the brother of Dr. Tin Wa (Past Captain and Gold, RUBC).

Dr. Thane Oke Kyaw Myint missed the top position by 5 marks. The Brothers were not delighted even though many won scholarship.

Dr. Kyaw Win (Robin) rowed for IM(1) with Lawrence Tims (son of Saya Tims).

Dr. Khin Maung U retired from FDA. Dr. Min Oo taught in Germany, Canada and US. Kenny Wong (MEHS, M69) stood 6th. Since I was 7th, my name was not recorded in the Honor Roll.

Dr. Min Lwin lost to Dr. Cherry Hlaing.

Bernard Khaw scored 80+ in English. Sadly, he could not apply for professional courses in Burma. It was a brain drain.