What initial challenges did Nawawi face teaching in Ulu Sungai Sarikei?

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Nawawi Abdul Hamid faced long travel, limited facilities, and security threats when teaching in Ulu Sungai Sarikei
When Nawawi Abdul Hamid began teaching in 1965 at a small school in the interior of Ulu Sungai Sarikei, he encountered major day-to-day challenges tied to distance, basic school infrastructure, and travel risks. He had to teach at a three-classroom school serving about 30 students from nearby longhouses, and he also had to make difficult monthly trips to town to collect salaries and buy necessities. On the way, he said they encountered communist members, though they would not interfere as long as teachers did not threaten their safety.
The school started with only three classrooms and about 30 pupils
Nawawi’s first posting was Assun School in Sungai Munsuh, Ulu Sarikei, a school with only three classrooms and a teacher’s house. Students were housed across years one, three, and four, with about 30 pupils from nearby longhouses attending, and each class had around 10 students. He taught Malay, English, and Mathematics as part of the early teaching setup.
Collecting salaries and supplies required exhausting trips by foot and boat
He described how travelling from the school to town was difficult because there were not many roads at the time. Teachers had to walk and take boats, and the one-way journey took between two and three hours. He said that once a month, they would go to town to collect salaries and buy necessities, making routine administrative needs a time-consuming task.
Communist members posed threats during travel routes
Nawawi also said that they encountered communist members on the way to town. He added that the communist members did not bother them as long as teachers did not threaten their safety. Even with this condition, the presence of such threats formed part of the overall risk teachers faced while moving between the interior school and town.
Parents still sent children despite distance and simple living conditions
Although the school environment was basic and families lived far from the school, he said parents remained willing to send their children to learn. He described that families lived in longhouses and lived a simple life, but they believed education could change the future of children. This persistence from parents and teachers was central to continuing schooling in the early years of rural Sarawak.

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What initial challenges did Nawawi face teaching in Ulu Sungai Sarikei?

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