/ 8 September 2006

Classical doctor

From the age of three, Cheryl McCrindle told her family that she wanted to become an ­animal doctor. They had to believe her. She was already collecting insects and reptiles. She had a pet snake, which one day made a meal of her pet mouse.

As she grew up in the Fifties and Sixties she never lost sight of her goal. “But when I told the guidance teacher I wanted to be a vet, he looked at me very strangely. In those days it was not the kind of thing girls would do,” said McCrindle.

But she persisted and today she heads the veterinary public health section at the University of Pretoria’s (UP) faculty of veterinary science at Onderstepoort in Tshwane.

In a world dominated by males, she is one of only two women veterinarians who have been awarded full professorships. Included in McCrindle’s pioneering work was a PhD in which she explored the role of the vet in pre-school education. This forced her to delve deep into pedagogy.

“One thing I learned was the importance of teaching concepts rather than facts, for instance, over and under; bigger than and smaller than; which is crucial for mastering complicated mathematical concepts later on,” she explained.

She said this knowledge – teaching conceptually rather than factually – had a “tremendous influence” on her as a tertiary lecturer and has been instrumental in the work she has done to develop Internet-based courses to show vets how to teach illiterate rural farmers.

For McCrindle it is crucial to take veterinary care to all communities. One way to do so, she said, was to train more black vets. But, she said the journey of black children to become educated was a struggle. She cited the battle of one of her own students.

This PhD student, who was brilliant at school, attended four schools before finishing grade 12. Thereafter he studied agriculture at the University of Limpopo before going to UP to do his honours. He then obtained an MSc at the faculty of veterinary science. He is now sponsored by the National Research Foundation as a PhD student in veterinary science.

McCrindle’s achievements and commitment to community-based healthcare for humans and animals recently earned her the title of the Shoprite Checkers/SABC2 Woman of the Year Award in the education category. This prompted the Teacher to her some questions about her own education.

Did you have a favourite teacher?

Yes, Mr Nesbitt. We did not know teachers’ first names in those days [1960s]. He was my art teacher at Roosevelt Secondary in Johannesburg from standard eight to 10 (Grade 10 to 12). He wanted me to do art after school, but I ended up a veterinarian.

Why do you remember him?

We did not do classics in history. He introduced us to Egyptian, Greek and Roman art. It fascinated me and to this day, I have an abiding love for it. When I went to Rome as a consultant for the United Nations I knew so much about Rome. I just fell in love with the Roman period – the statues, the architecture and history. It is still my favourite place.