Marlene Gerber was appointed principal of Laerskool Randhart on August 1, 2019. This year, she retired from her role as principal and her teaching career.
Gerber grew up in Roodepoort, where she attended Hoërskool Roodepoort. Thereafter, she went to Goudstad Teachers’ College and completed her diploma in teaching.
She taught her first lesson as a teacher at Laerskool Generaal Christiaan De Wet in Sophiatown and after two years of teaching in the west, Gerber moved to teach at Alberview Primary School and Alberton High School.
She said: “I received my first promotional position at Laerskool Elandia, where I was appointed head of department for educational guidance and later head of department for the intermediate and senior phase.”
Gerber spent about 18 years at Laerskool Elandia, later taking on the role of deputy principal and then principal.
After spending many years within the public school system, Gerber branched out to open a private school in the Curro group called Curro Thatchfield in Centurion.
“I was there for six and a half years and didn’t get to interact much with the learners as the executive head. This is when I started to miss teaching and my passion for children,” she highlighted.
“The position of principal of Laerskool Randhart came along and it is as if my life has come full circle,” she added.
Gerber explained during her second year of study, she did her teaching practical at Laerskool Randhart and found herself being the principal for five years and now ending her teaching career at the school. She describes it as a blessing to end her career on such a high note.
“I was able to be back in the classroom and get to the essence of teaching again.”
It has been 44 years and 7 months of her teaching career and during this time she improved her qualifications where she did various additional diplomas in education, an HR management course and completed her honours in education management, law and policy.
“One highlight of my career is when Laerskool Elandia became a parallel medium school and I played an instrumental role in the decision to change the language of learning and teaching to English and Afrikaans,” said Gerber.
Another highlight of her career was starting a private school where she had to appoint every staff member and witnessed the construction of the school.
“When I came back into the public system, I could implement much of what I learnt from the private school system,” she said.
Her love for children and education began when she was a little girl. Growing up, I enjoyed playing with my dolls and playing ‘school-school’, making small books and writing in the books pretending as if it were the dolls who wrote in them.”
However, in the end, when Gerber had to decide which career path to follow, she recalls her mother telling her that God blessed her with intelligence and encouraged her to become a teacher.
“I loved every day of my journey as a teacher and principal.”
Gerber looks forward to what retirement holds and has plans to tour Namibia, visit the Kruger National Park and play golf with her husband.
“We will retire in the seaside town, Hermanus,” she said.
“I am excited about the new journey because I have worked hard my entire career and looked forward to this time. Having lost my mother and sister to cancer, I often wondered if I would be granted time to see retirement and I am grateful to retire with my husband,” highlighted Gerber.
