Lambton’s André Grobler was formally introduced to the pupils and teachers at Hoërskool Primrose High School as the new principal, on May 20.
“I have been the acting principal since the previous principal, Arrie Olivier, resigned some time last year and, prior to that, I was the deputy principal,” said Grobler.
“I learnt a lot from Olivier, he was a great leader and I am privileged to have known and worked with him.”
Grobler, whose appointment as principal officially takes effect today (June 1), told GCN that he began his teaching career in 1989.
“I have been a teacher for 27 years now and I will continue teaching, because I believe it is important, otherwise you might lose your grip on what is happening in the classroom,” he said.
“That bond between you and the students is important, so I will keep on teaching, even if it is just one or two periods a day it’s fine.”
Grobler gained experience throughout his career.
“Back in the day, a teacher had to start by doing army duty, so I joined the South African Defence Force (SADF) from 1989-1990, as a teacher,” he said.
“And then, for six months, I taught at Diversity High School.
“Before Hoërskool Palmietfontein and Die Varing merged I was a teacher at Hoërskool Palmietfontein for seven years.
“When the merger happened, Hoërskool Dinamika was formed and I taught there from 1993 until my appointment as an HOD at Afrikaanse Hoërskool Germiston in 2002.
“I joined this school as the deputy principal in 2009.
“I believe in going through the ranks; you start-off with post level one teaching and gain experience, and as soon as there is a post you apply and hope for the best.
”Then you move to HOD position, which is post level two, and I gained seven years of experience there.
“The next level is the deputy, followed by the principal position, which is a post level four.
”You can have a 100 degrees, but at the end of the day you have to gain the experience needed before applying for higher posts.
“I have always wanted to become principal, but little did I know this school would be the one where my dream would materialise.
“It is a great honour that was bestowed on me, to be the leader of such a fine school.”
The 49-year-old leader also said that, among other things, he wants to focus on improving the technical part of the school.
“This is both a technical and academic school; the technical division hasn’t been strong over the past few years, so I would like to build on that,” he explained.
“Through the department of education, we will introduce new technical subjects from next year, such as, among others, welding and cutting, mechanical machinery and electronic technology.
“Basically, the three major technical subjects we offer are expanding, but we also still offer academic subjects.
“We have also been upgrading our infrastructure for the past two years.
“To ensure that we are ready for the new subjects, the school already has teachers currently attending courses and equipping themselves for this purpose.”
In other news, Grobler said the school is preparing for a celebration in October, when it will celebrate its 50th anniversary.
“We are excited that the school is 50 this year and, what is also interesting, is that I will also be turning 50 in October,” he said.
“I look forward to the next 50 years with the school.
“As the newly appointed principal, I will make it my mission to add to the firm foundation laid by my predecessors in an effort to make this school a force to be reckoned with.
“I must say, I am very lucky to have a strong team of teachers supporting me in the mission to fulfil the principles and morals of Hoërskool Primrose High School.”
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