Teacher stays at Viesīte school for 51st year

Geography teacher Sarmīte Stumbiņa has stayed at Viesīte Secondary School for a 51st year because the school could not find a replacement, LSM reported, citing Vidusdaugava Television. She had not planned to continue working this school year.

Stumbiņa became a teacher in 1975. After her first three years in Nereta, she worked at Viesīte Vocational Secondary School before joining Viesīte Secondary School in 1983. She still teaches in the same classroom, where a spruce outside the window has grown so tall that squirrels sometimes distract students during lessons.

Teaching had been her childhood dream. Her aunt also chose the profession, and Stumbiņa’s son and grandson are now teachers. She said a teacher’s results could not be judged at the end of a working day, but only after decades.

Stumbiņa said students had become more skilled with technology, but that human interaction and gratitude were sometimes lacking. She also criticised frequent changes to the education system, including shifting approaches to assessment.

Stumbiņa is a graduate of the school, as are 15 other teachers there. Of its 32 teachers, one in five was once her student. Sanita Berģe, who now teaches chemistry and biology at the school, said she remembered Stumbiņa’s lessons as interesting experiences and still felt great respect for her.

After 50 years in education, Stumbiņa had decided it was time to leave and submitted her resignation. But the school was unable to find another geography teacher, so she stayed.