Grahamstown based private co-ed Kingswood welcomed Dr Colleen Vassiliou as their new College Head recently.
Much to the delight of their Old Boys, she wasted no time in declaring her top priority to be the effort to see Kingswood climb up the national school rugby rankings and cement their position nearer the top. Jokes, she didn’t really say that and by all accounts word is that she is a top notch appointment who is set to become a valued asset to the school.
Kingswood will be celebrating their 125th birthday in 2019. There are only about 220 boys in the high school and they often punch above their weight in rugby. Rugby optimism is reasonably high this year. This could turn out to a good season for their 1st XV especially if they can replicate their under-16 form from 2017.
A sign of the times?
The teaching profession is having its challenges attracting male employees. Couple this with advancements in gender equality and it’s perhaps not that far-fetched to imagine more ladies being given the green light to head up boys’ high schools and the bigger co-eds on a full-time basis.
There are and have been plenty of high school headmistresses but almost all have been in charge at girls’ high schools.
The interest part will be to see how prospective parents who have boys and others connected to schools’ make the adjustment to accepting female leadership in spheres that were dominated by males literally since schooling started in SA.
Last year Andri Barnes formally took over the leadership of boy’s high school Glenwood in Durban after being the acting head for several months prior to that. Among the school’s achievements during her time so far was a first unbeaten 1st XV rugby season in yonks.
All the best to the new Headmistress. No qualms from my side (provided that boys hockey stays a distant second sport at KC
)
What worries me about education in general, is the number of quality teachers leaving for abroad. Particularly for the Asian countries where pay is significantly higher than most jobs here in SA, let alone in education in SA.
Male teachers numbers are definitely a concern. This is why schools are more reliant on outside coaches now.
@Rooibul: ek praat nie eens van die privaat sektor nie pel, in die onderwys kan mans onnies kies ek keur waar hulle skool hou, so groot is die tekort
@Smallies:
Jy is 100% reg oor mans onderwysers, maar wel ook verkeert.
Jong mans met die verkeerde leiding en hulp gaan skryf hulle eie pay tjek in die privaat sektor.
Daar is nie leiding of ondersteuning vir baie van die manne nie. Hoop dat daar wel na die manne beter gekyk sal word.
Jong manlike onderwysers kan basies hulle eie selaris tjeks skryf vandag, daar is n reuse tekort aan mans onnies, veral op hoerskool vlak, bv aliwal noord hoerskool met 450 tot 500 leerlinge het slegs 4 manslike onnies…