S. K. Ratnam

Shanmugam Kanagaratnam (1893 – 19 June 1994), better known as S. K. Ratnam, was a prominent educator who taught at the Anglo-Chinese Schools in Singapore, Penang and Malacca, and at the Methodist Boys' School in Kuala Lumpur, where he became headmaster. He was the father of academics K. Shanmugaratnam and K.J. Thamaratnam and the grandfather of President of Singapore Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Early life and education Ratnam was born in Ceylon in 1893. He was the brother of S. Sivasampoo, who became a station master at Kuala Lumpur, and the nephew of Ampalavana Navalar, a disciple of Arumuka Navalar. He came to Malaya at the age of 15 and studied at the Methodist Boys' School in Kuala Lumpur. By 1921, he was a supervisor at the Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore. He was again a teacher at the Kuala Lumpur Methodist Boys' School by January 1932. In January 1936, he was transferred to Malacca to act as the principal of the Anglo-Chinese School there. He was also a teacher at the Anglo-Chinese School in Penang.

He came to Singapore in 1950 and began teaching with the Anglo-Chinese School on Barker Road and at Coleman Street. He continued to teach there before retiring in 1959. In the last five years of his career, he worked under six principals who were previously students of his, including Thio Chan Bee.

Clubs and associations In 1922, Ratnam was elected the chairman of the literary department of the Singapore Ceylon Tamils Association (SCTA). He was also elected the chair of the Lanka Union. He was elected the honorary auditor of the SCTA in 1923. In 1929, Ratnam succeeded N. Alvapillay as a committee member of the Jaffnese Co-Operative Society on 31 January. However, he resigned from the post just six months later on 27 July, though he continued with the society as a member of its Committee of Management. He was elected to the committee of the Selangor Ceylon Tamil Association in 1930. In the 1930s, he served as the vice-president of the Tamilian Physical Cultural Association.

Ratnam was elected the treasurer of the Singapore Workers' Education Association in 1955. He was elected to the committee of the Tagore Society Singapore on its founding in 1956. He was also a founding member of the Ceylon Sports Club.

Personal life and death Ratnam was married with five children; he had three sons and two daughters. One son and one daughter were born in Singapore, while the rest were born in Kuala Lumpur. Gnanalakshmi would also go on to be a teacher at the Anglo-Chinese School in Singapore after Ratnam had retired. He had been bedridden for over a decade. The funeral was held on 21 June 1994 at Mount Vernon, where he was cremated.