by Hla Min
Updated : September 2026
St. Paul’s High School
- After passing Third Standard at PPBRS, I applied as a Transfer Student to SPHS where my older brother Sein Htoon (SPHS57) was studying for his Matriculation exam.
Preferences for Admission
- Those aspiring to become Brother or Father (Priest)
- Catholic
- Those having a Paulian in the family
- Those wishing to be a Boarder
- Those willing to start from Lower KG
- For Transfer students (a) Must be a Top student (b) Preferably attended an allied school (c) If not, willing to start at a lower class
Standard IV(D)
- I was accepted by SPHS because I stood Second in 3rd Std at PPBRS & my brother was a Paulian.
- However, I was assigned to IV(D) taught by Ms. A Benjamin. See Dr. TOKM’s post about “Section D”
- Tin Tun (M69, GBNF) was my classmate. His mum would come & feed him at lunch break.
- Norman Thant Zin’s mother (Mrs. Stiles) taught a different section.
- Sections A & B were considered good sections for the class.
My Class Teachers
- Ms A Benjamin : IV(D)
- Ms V Boudville : V(D)
- U Pe Tin : VI(D)
- U Nge : VII(D)
- Brother Anthony : VIII(A)
- Brother Xavier : IX(A)
- Brother Austin : X(A)
Most of my teachers (class, subject and relieving) are GBNF.
Learning English
How did I learn English? Not so easily.
Ms Hong Kong (Amelia Kyi)
She taught us English in VI and VII standards using the carrot & the stick.
My daily pocket money was 25 pyas. I would be fined 50 pyas if I failed in a weekly English test, but I would be rewarded 50 pyas if my scores are super.
Brother Xavier
He taught us English in VIII and IX standards mostly using red ink & the stick.
He would give 100 marks (perfect score) for any paper or test & then subtract 10 marks for each error (spelling, grammar …).
One of my classmates received -230 (minus 230) written in red in his report card.
He would ask a student to stand on the chair or kneel in front for blatant violations of Grammar.
According to Ko Zaw Min (St. Albert’s 64), Brother Xavier stopped using the brute-force techniques at St. Albert’s HS.
Brother Austin
He taught us English and “Morals and Manners” in X standard mostly using the carrot.
He was a Librarian for SPHS Library.
He said, “Don’t copy from your friends. You’ll waste your time and my time.”
He reminded me not to write very small. He would reduce score for writing small.
He would reward students who could recite verses from “Morals and Manners” by letting them “time off” for the rest of the period and handing out surprise gifts (e.g. a UK or European soccer match played with his 8mm camera). I won a ticket to see “1960 Summer Olympics at Rome” at the Thamada (President) Cinema.
I am not sure if these kind of incentives will be effective in the present time.
Support
from parents
They bought books, magazines, cartoons, and comics in Burmese and English. Most of them cost less than two kyats.
We had two typewriters : a new Olympia typewriter for Burmese, and an old Remington typewriter for English.
They and my uncles maintain private libraries.
Matriculation
Roll of Honor
SPHS had a Roll of Honor for the outstanding Matriculates from 1951 – 1963.
SPHS63
In the Matric exam of 1963, SPHS had five students in the Top Five, seven in the Top Ten, and ten in the Top Twenty.
- Khin Maung U — 1st in Burma
- Min Oo — 2nd
- Myo San (Freddie) — 3rd
- Nyunt Wai (Victor) — 4th
- Thein Wai — 5th
- Hla Min — 7th
- Aung Kyaw Zaw (Johnny) — 9th
- Maung Maung Kyi — 11th
- Aung Thu Yein (Brownie) — 13th
- Khin Maung Zaw (Frank) — 17th
OPA (Old Paulian Association) invited the Collegiate Scholarship Winners to the Annual Dinner.
Update
- The schools were nationalized on April 1, 1965. SPHS was renamed as No. (6) State High School, Botathaung.
- Several SPHS alumni are GBNF. They include Myo San (Freddie), Aung Thu Yein (Brownie), Maung Maung Kyi, Willie Soe Maung (Myint Soe), Aye Ngwe (Edwin), Aung Chaw (Victor), Tin Tun, Aung Kyi (Arthur), Khin Maung Bo (Allan).
- Most of my teachers are GBNF. Uzin Beatson was the last to pass away.
HlaMin 
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