Kogie bids Ashley Primary fond farewell
The dedicated principal has been at the school since 2008 and has been moulding children's minds for 45 years.
AFTER 45 years in the education sector, Ashley Primary School’s beloved and dedicated principal, Kogie Naidoo, will soon retire.
The 65-year-old said she started her career at Port Shepstone High School and then took up a post at Collegevale Primary School in Overport.
The Westville resident was then promoted to deputy principal at the school in 2008 and principal in 2014. She started off as an under-qualified teacher and, with a passion for learning, worked herself up the ranks through to an educator, head of department, deputy then principal.
“I also have such a passion for teaching. I come from a family of teachers and I love it. I love what I do. The pay is terrible,” she laughed, “but the rewards are fantastic! To see the light in a child’s eyes when they grasp onto something you have taught them, it is amazing.”
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Kogie is the first person to arrive at school each day as she found it was easier on the parents who worked long hours or had to endure a frenzied commute to their workplace outside of Durban.
She lives by the motto to treat others the way you want to be treated.
“In a job like mine you have to be humble and compassionate. Through this motto I have gained the respect of my colleagues, the parents and children.”
She said she will miss the children and teachers. “It has been a very emotional few months for me. I have worked with so many children for 45 years and it is going to be difficult to just give that up,” said Kogie.
In the near future, she said there will be a lot of travelling. “I will be going to Cape Town in December and will leave for Mexico and Columbia in April. There will be lots of long holidays and I can do that off peak now. For the first time I can enjoy what all retirees enjoy – the pensioners discounts!”
In her spare time she enjoys reading and baking and hopes to spend as much time as possible with her two darling grandchildren.
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