SPHS Teachers & Classmates

by Hla Min

Updated : June 2025

Teachers

• Brother Anthony (Class teacher) : taught Mathematics
• Saya U Sein (Burmese teacher, GBNF) : Father of Saya Dr. Soe Win (retired Rector of YUFL); Also taught Burmese in Matric.
• Brother Felix (Brother Director, GBNF) : After nationalization, moved to Germany and passed away there. Thonegwa Kyaw Win visited him.
• Saya U Nyunt Maung (Arts subjects teacher) : Taught Maths in Sacred Heart
• Saya Beatson (Science subjects teacher) : Became a monk
• Brother Xavier (English teacher) : Also taught English in 9th standard. After nationalization, moved to UK and presumably left the Order.

Dr. Khin Maung U

• First in Burma in the Matric exam in 1963; Won Collegiate Scholarship
• Had perfect scores of 100 in Maths & Chemistry and a score of 99 in Physics. Grapevine says that one point was deducted from the initial score.
• Multiple Luyechun at IM(1)
• Due to changes in the Edu System, he had to do M.Sc. (Med Sc) locally. Top students from earlier years studied in UK as State Scholars.
• His persistence paid off. Got Fellowships from UK and MD from Australia
• Retired from Food & Drug Administration in the USA
• Translator/interpreter for dhamma courses & meditation retreats.
• Wore thick glasses since his younger days.
• Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) and X(A). We were in different sections in the lower classes.

Dr. Min Oo (Kenneth)

• Stood second in Burma in the Matric exam in 1963. Won Collegiate Scholarsip.
• Some saw him reading a German book before entering the hall to take the Matric exam.
• Scored distinctions in English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry.
• Chose to study Maths at RASU.

• Saya U Aung Sein (Maths) saw Min Oo get out of the Tutorial classes after a few minutes and yet had perfect score. He decided to give challenging questions for a Tutorial. Min Oo took longer time than the easier Tutorials, but most of the other students could not get a passing grade.

• A Tuition Saya (now GBNF) challenged his students. “Ask your teachers to solve the problem. I will give you free tuition if you can provide the correct answer.” One student asked Min Oo, who was enjoying a card game. Min Oo scribbled the answer during the card game. The Tuition Saya was disappointed. He did not keep his promise to give the student free tuition.

• Attended Tekkatho Luyechun Camps twice.

• In the Summer of 1965, he was chosen as Luyechun among second year RASU students.
• In the Slummer of 1968, he was chosen as a Saya for the Tekkatho Luyechun camp.
• As a multiple Tekkatho Luyechun from IM(1), Dr. Khin Maung U was present at both camps. He remembers Min Oo with a cigar trying to look like a Sayagyi.

• Min Oo received two doctorates in Maths from Germany. He taught at McMasters University in Canada. He voluntarily retired in 2015.

• He was one of the young students in the class, but also among the brightest.
• Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) & X(A). We were in different sections in the lower classes.
• He often visited his daughter in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Dr. Myo San (Freddie, GBNF)

• Stood third in Burma in the Matric of 1963. Won Collegiate Scholarship.

• He had studied phonetics. He had read lots of English books.
• He scored distinctions in English, Maths, Physics and Chemistry.

• He was older than us. That might have given him a slight advantage in the early years.

• He gave me a quiz. “How do you pronounce GHOTI?” I gave an answer which he corrected as “FISH”. He had read George Bernard Shaw, who posed the quiz as an example of eccentricity in English. GH is phonetically equivalent to F as in ROUGH. O is phonetically equivalent to I as in WOMAN. TI is phonetically equivalent to SH as in ATTENTION. Thus, GHOTI is phonetically equivalent to FISH.

• He became a surgeon, but the stress caused him to take early retirement.
• Sadly, he passed away.

• Classmate in Stds VIII(A), IX(A) & X(A), We were in different sections in the lower classes.

Collegiate Scholarship Holders

In 1963, students from private schools had to be in the Top Forty to be eligible for Collegiate Scholarship.

SPHS had ten students in the Top Twenty. Min Oo studied Maths.
Hla Min, Maung Maung Kyi & Aung Thu Yein studied Engineering. Khin Maung U, Myo San, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, Aung Kyaw Zaw & Khin Maung Zaw studied Medicine.
Myo San, Maung Maung Kyi and Aung Thu Yein are GBNF

• First : Dr. Khin Maung U (Medical Researcher, FDA, USA)
• 2nd : Dr. Min Oo (Maths Professor, McMasters University, Canada)
• 3rd : Dr. Myo San (Surgeon, GBNF)
• 4th : Dr. Nyunt Wai (Physiology Professor in IM & Malaysia)
• 5th: Dr. Thein Wai (Moved to USA)
• 7th: U Hla Min (Lifelong Learner; Software Engineer, Silicon Valley)
• 9th: Dr. Aung Kyaw Zaw (Specialist, Base Military Hospital)
• 11th : U Maung Maung Kyi (Dip. Ing in Pulp & Paper, Wales, UK, GBNF)
• 13th : U Aung Thu Yein (EC, Schlumberger, GBNF)
• 17th: Dr. Khin Maung Zaw (Medical Doctor, UK)

In the group photo

Seated (L to R) : Min Oo, Khin Maung U, Myo San (GBNF)

Standing (L to R) : Hla Min, Khin Maung Zaw, Nyunt Wai, Thein Wai, Maung Maung Kyi (GBNF), Aung Thu Yein (GBNF), Aung Kyaw Zaw

Updates

Kyaw Wynn’s Birthday

• Offered soon to Ashin Ukkamsa (Victor, Aung Chaw)
• Lunch to SPHS63 Classmates

• Aye Ngwe (Edwin)
• Kyaw Wynn — Host
• Khin Maung Bo (Allan, GBNF)
• Hla Min
• Aung Chaw (Victor, Ashin Ukkamsa)
• Than Win
• Aung Kyi (Arthur, GBNF)
• Tin Tun (Phone Gyi, GBNF)
• Khin Maung Zaw (Frank, UK)

Sayadaw Beatson

• Taught Physics at SPHS
• Scout Master
• After retirement, became a monk
• Paulians — Myo Nyunt (Harry), Atom Hla & team — offered soon to Sayadaw

• La Min
• Nyunt Wai (Victor)
• Sayadaw Beatson
• Nyan Taw (Dicky)
• Hla Min
• Than Win
• Aung Kyi (Arthur)

Sein Nyunt (Swe Set)

• Classmate in Stds IV(D), V(D) & VI(D)
• Shared names & status of former classmates. Several are GBNF. Hla Myint (Snow Makeup), Maung Maung Thaung, Sonny Yone Sein, Sydney Khant, Tin Tun are some who have passed away

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