An experienced educator and veteran writer, Pon Sundararaju obtained his BA in Tamil Language and Literature from Madurai Kamaraj University. He received his MA in Tamil Language and Literature from Chennai University. Prior to joining SOTA, Mr Pon was in the teaching service from 1970 to 2007. He served as a specialist writer in the Curriculum Development Institute of Singapore for Primary Schools and was Head of the Preparatory Course for Tamil Division at the Ministry of Education (MOE). He was also Head of Department for Mother Tongue Languages in Chong Boon Primary School and Upper Serangoon Secondary School. His passion for the teaching and learning of Tamil language and literature earned him the honour of becoming the first Tamil language teacher in Singapore to become Master Teacher for Tamil Language.
Mr Pon’s love for the Tamil language inspired him to be a writer at the tender age of fourteen. To date, he has written 40 plays for television and 30 plays for radio. He has also written numerous short stories and published two book compilations of his short stories. His short stories are well received by the Indian community as they focus on issues challenging the Indian community. His latest publication “Pon Sundararaju’s Padaipugal” was highly commended by a number of well known people in the Tamil literary field. A good number of his short stories and plays have won first and second prizes in various literary and creative competitions over the years. His contributions to the literary and creative field have won him the prestigious ‘Kalai Chemmal’ award by Singapore Indian Artistes Association, and the ‘Thirukural Award’ by Singapore Tamil Language and Cultural Society in 2005. In 2007, he received the ‘Pulamai Thendral’ award by Tamil Nadu’s World Tamils Society, in recognition for his literary talents and contributions.
Mr Pon has presented research papers and given talks on the teaching and learning of the Tamil language and literature, in seminars and conferences held in Singapore and overseas. He has served in a number of steering committees such as MOE’s revised Tamil language syllabus steering committee. He served the Singapore Tamil Teachers’ Union as Deputy General Secretary for more than 30 years. Mr Pon is well known as a radio and television newscaster from 1975 to 2003. Currently, he is the Principal for one of the Centres for Singapore Indian Development Association’s (SINDA) step programme in Jing Shan Primary School.