Spotlight on Ruth Barbé: From the blackboard to the processing line   |10 August 2021

Ruth Barbe is known by most as a teacher, after having dedicated years of her life towards educating the youths and leaders of tomorrow.  The long-time geography teacher, who is just 51 years young, recently made the transition from the comforts of the classroom, to the cold environment of a fish-processing factory.

Seychelles NATION had a chat with the teacher turned fish cleaner, on the bold decision to make the transition.

Ms Barbé, as a young Seychelloise, embraced the Seventh Day Adventist Faith. She wrought out her adult formative years at the National Youth Service (NYS), Seychelles Polytechnic and London, United Kingdom.
In 1989, the aspiring educator was awarded a scholarship funded by the British Council to follow a degree in Geography (Honours) at the then Polytechnic of North London, now London Metropolitan University.  Despite not completing the final year of the three-year degree after having failed certain units, Ms Barbé returned to Seychelles, sought for work, learnt how to drive, and enrolled at the now Seychelles Institute of Distance and Open Learning (Sidol), then Aldec, to further her European languages acquisition.

At the time, Ms Barbé also applied to enrol on the Bachelor of Education programme locally, and was successful, eventually graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities.

“Grateful that I had passed all required units, I returned to Seychelles in July of 1993 and was placed at Beau Vallon secondary to complete my project required to be done in a Seychelles school prior to graduation. I graduated with the class of 1990, one robe passed on to the next person to be photographed as a graduand at the School of Education Hall that forlorn day,” said Ms Barbé.
“In January of 1994 I was placed at English River, still housing both primary and secondary as well as the crèche, then not an annexe of Belonie. I taught Geography at secondary levels up to P9 which eventually became S3 and eventually S4 was added for O-Levels, and the S5 due to the phasing out of ordinary level at the Seychelles Polytechnic,” Ms Barbé said.
Among the head teachers Ms Barbé has had the pleasure of working with over the years are Alise Nanty, followed by Rose Mary Bastienne, and lastly Marie Claude Morel.
Along the years, she returned to the United Kingdom, where she was employed as a Geography teacher at the John Loughborough secondary school and the Cressex Community college, having held a part time position at the Collingwood Community College.
After getting married in France, Ms Barbé was selected in a competition for a two-year Master’s course at the Blaise Pascal University, Antenne de Moulins, where she pursued for a Masters dans l'enseignement dans le premier degré.
“I completed one year and had to drop out of the course due to irreconcilable marital differences after almost two years of marriage, where I ended up in a mental asylum, treated for overtiredness and depression. I spent two weeks interned following which my family expatriated me back to the Seychelles, where I was in consultation with nurses and Doctor Daniella Malulu at the psychiatric unit of the hospital. I followed treatment dispensed and completed my course. I was deemed fit to work and should I have need to recourse the service would be made available to me,” Ms Barbé added.
Ms Barbé then returned to teaching, taking up posts with the Ministry of Education. She worked at English River for four years, and started at the Pointe Larue secondary school in April 2017. In 2021 she transferred to the Plaisance secondary school, before deciding to end her career with the Ministry of Education in November 2020.

“Hearing the call of a post Covid-19 economy on its knees and that its earnings sustained came from the fishing industry, I made up my mind to go and contribute my part in that industry, hearing that they were in dire need of fish cleaners. It was not the title of the post that attracted me. As in the war, a country calls you to where it needs you, fish cleaning was the only position if I wanted to help,” said Ms Barbé.
“I joined the tutorial classes and started my first day on June 30, 2021. It is hard physical work but the reason why I do it keeps me going there day after day. I proudly watch the products on shelves at any opportunity I see them displayed, knowing how much effort I directly contributed to it being there and in many parts of the world,” she added.

Laura Pillay