Old boy leads Durban Prep

BARRY Wilson took over the reigns as headmaster of Durban Preparatory High School this year.

Barry left Durban Prep in 1972 and joined Durban High School where he matriculated in 1978. He was accepted into Edgewood to do his in-service training, and while studying, he returned to his roots at Durban Prep to take up a position as a student coach. Once he qualified, he became a full time staff member at Durban Prep in 1985 – his first teaching post. In 1993 he was promoted to a head of department position at Durban Prep.

In 2003 he accepted a department promotion and moved across to Northlands Primary School to take up a position as the deputy principal, where he became principal in 2011.

After 13 very happy and productive years at Northlands, Barry fulfilled a life-long dream, and returned to Durban Prep as headmaster in 2017.

Not only has Barry made a significant contribution to primary school education but he also brings a wealth of experience in school sport, as the chairman of KZN/Sharks Primary Schools’ Rugby. Barry has a deep passion for education and has an over-riding view that “happy functionality” goes a long way in creating a productive school environment.

He is also not a great fan of homework, believing that time spent in the beautiful surrounds that make up the city of Durban are far more beneficial to a child’s growing body and mind than hours spent doing homework at a desk. He feels “happiness of the mind” is essential to whole child development.

Barry is now the 12th headmaster of Durban Preparatory High School. His years spent as headmaster at Prep will add to his accumulated 27 years as a “Prep Boy!” Not many headmasters can lay claim to that fact.