Heideveld Primary principal wins leadership award

Heideveld Primary School principal Rosdien Desai scooped the provincial education department’s award for excellence in primary school leadership and will now represent the province at the National Teaching Awards on Thursday October 5.

“This is not about me. A lot of people were surprised that a school in a township can produce this, but what I am doing is not for me. All I want to do is leave a legacy for other young people to follow,” Mr Desai said.

He advocates a holistic approach to running a school smoothly.

“I believe we need to put wellness first and compliance second. We cannot expect teachers to perform at their optimum level if they themselves have challenges. Any human who is treasured and valued goes the extra mile.

“A functional school must be functional on all levels. The culture at our school is such that our learners understand discipline, cleanliness and the value of education, for example. Many of them come from adversity, but we pride ourselves in instilling values that contribute to the holistic development of the child.

“Part of holistic development also means using technology to improve numeracy and literacy, which we do.”

Education MEC David Maynier announced the 14 winners of the Western Cape Provincial Teaching Awards on Friday September 1.

“These awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the incredible work that teachers in our public schools do every day, and to recognise excellent teaching practice,” he said.

“These teachers relentlessly pursue excellence, and their passion for improving learning outcomes is clear for all to see. These qualities serve our learners well as we strive to get them back on track, and equip them with the skills that they need to thrive in our evolving economy.”

Mr Desai refers to his school as a family and he said its mission was to be a safe environment with parental involvement, teacher development, and co-curricular activities for pupils.

Mr Desai has forged relationships with various organisations, institutions, religious bodies, and influential people, and NGOs help pupils with literacy, numeracy and music therapy. Therapists also help pupils with learning disabilities.

Mr Desai, who started his teaching career at Mount View High School in 1986, said he believed in lifelong learning for others and himself.