From the DHS facebook
ANNOUNCEMENT OF NEW PRINCIPAL
The Governing Body of Durban High School are excited to announce the appointment of Mr Leon Erasmus as Principal of Durban High School, effective from 8 April 2013.
Leon is joining the DHS family from Rondebosch High School in Cape Town, where he has served as Deputy Principal since 2004.
Leon has gained exceptional leadership attributes having had experience in many areas of educational responsibility at a leadership level, including representation on Governing Bodies over the past eighteen years. He is passionate about education and the moulding of youngsters into future leaders.
Leon was schooled in Queenstown before joining the education profession. He was then appointed HOD at Queens College and subsequently promoted to second Deputy Principal. In 2004, he moved to Rondebosch Boys’ High School where he took up the post of Senior Deputy Principal, a position he has held for the past eight years.
Leon also has an outstanding organisational and managerial track record within secondary education, believing in dynamic leadership whilst still being approachable and a good listener. He also has experience in performance assessment, academic curriculum, educational legislation and human resource management, external evaluation, whole school evaluation and has sat as chairman on a number of school committees.
He has a Degree and a Diploma in Education from the University of the Free State.
Leon is an avid lover of sport and its role in the development of boys at high school and has coached sport at provincial and national level.
He is married to Elmarie, also an educator, and they have two daughters, Chanel, who is studying in the USA and Cassandra who is in Grade 8. Both have already proven themselves on the sports fields.
The Durban High School Governing Body congratulates Leon on his appointment and wishes him every success in the significant role he is to perform as Head of Institution in the future of DHS.
Our heartiest congratulations
School Governing Body
Durban High School
@Ludz: I would not include Mr Lovatt as a inspiring Queenian as he got his butt kicked out of Hilton and then was physically attacking boys at Queens i hope KES enjoy him.
Well done. great stuff to have a Hangklip old boy heading such a big school. He gained great experience at Queens and Bosch. Leon played very good rugby himself. Let’s hope we find less boys from the Border being attracted to DHS. Or will the exodus increase.
@Tjoppa: hahaha, I wouldn’t know, I doubt it though
@beet: I remember now, so those of you with kids who want to be leaders in education 1 day, take the hint
@Ludz: His Afrikaans heritage the reason for him excelling?
@beet: He did indeed. Now where did I read that … {scratching kopf with breakfast fork ..} .. here perhaps
http://schoolboyrugby.co.za/blog/?p=1917
@Ludz: I’m sure the new M.College head also has some kind of Queens connection. Something more concrete than playing rugga alongside QC86
Again good luck Mr Erasmus, a huge task ahead. Trying to turn an oil tanker is a massive task. Fundamentally you are going to need to change attitudes and perceptions of people disillusioned by the Magner era. Work with Mike Fennel to get the Old boys on side, focus on your feeder schools and install traditions and discipline, then you have a winning formula, but I’m sure you know that. Huge competition in Durbs now for the best kids between Glenwood, College, Northwood, Westville and DHS! May the games begin!
Always amazes me how many men who were once in a leadership capacity at Queen’s go on to become headmasters at other schools
Mike Fennel (Former KES headmaster and DHS CEO)
Dave Lovatt (KES headmaster)
Neil Crawford (Grey PE headmaster)
Finlay Taylor (GHS headmaster)
Quite a few others who I’ve forgotten. On Leon Erasmus, never had the pleasure of meeting him, but i can tell you the okes at Queen’s that do know speak very highly of the man. I specifically remember in 2010 when Mr Harker was on the way out, a lot of okes were calling for him to replace Mr Harker. If the similarities that people so often refer to between him and Harker are true, then DHS have got a great headmaster
I think that bringing in someone without local baggage is also a great idea. I think that most of our KZN schools can do with a new set of ideas. Tradition is good and well but if should not hold you back either. Keep the good, toss the stuff that is no longer relevant. And that is not just sport, it’s across the board.
Hope this will settle the whole CEO issue as well, silence the unionised staff!
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Good luck DHS, carry on some of the great work Vermaak has started and then look out KZN
@Westers: The Queenians have a lot of praise for him. Infact they wanted him to take over as principal when the post opened up last year. He loves his rugby and is a hard disciplinarian. Since he arrived at bosch their rugby has grown significantly. This is a great hire by DHS. I believe DHS will once again become a force in kzn. You’ve got a good one there Horsie.
Congratulations to DHS on what looks like a good appointment. Good luck to Mr Erasmus.
I hope for the sake of KZN SBR he helps to bring more depth to DHS as well as quality. We need another school in KZN that is able to field 26 rugby teams on a Saturday.