Stephen Price was supposed to retire earlier this year, and he gave it a good try (for a month). But, when the call to help the Western Cape’s worst-performing high school came, the ‘retired principal took the opportunity with open arms. Through his determination and heartwarming community kindness, things are looking more positive than ever for the future of so many young people. Full story:
Cape Town, South Africa (26 October 2023) — When so-called ‘retired’ principal Stephen Price faced his compulsory retirement in March this year after a decades-spanning career as an educator, he had no idea that this would only be the beginning of another journey.
“While my first month of retirement was good, the novelty wore off,” Principal Price tells Good Things Guy, adding that he found himself missing the excitement and responsibility of leading a school.
He had spent 40 years on what he calls a “long and winding” teaching journey. It began at Pinelands High and would take him all over the Western Cape, including Athlone High, Hewat College, Heathfield High, Plumstead High, Wynberg Boys and finally (so he thought) as the principal of Bergvliet High—the top performing school in the circuit.
After that first month of not entirely settling into retirement, Principal Price soon realised that there was a big reason behind why he hadn’t quite accepted his teaching journey as over—because it wasn’t.
One day, he received a call from his former circuit manager Mrs Moipone who asked if he would take on the task of becoming caretaker principal of Lotus High until they found a replacement principal.
“I said yes immediately,” Principal Price shares.
Taking on Lotus High meant taking on the worst-performing school in the Western Cape. However, it was a task the ‘retired principal’ took on with open arms.
“I’ve been at Lotus High in Lotus River for 4 months now. What an amazing journey it has been.
“My leadership and management skills have been tested to the LIMIT. From the top performing school in the Circuit to the worst performing school in the PROVINCE,” Price says, before unpacking his process.
“I spent my first term at Lotus High observing the learners, the teachers and everything else at the school. It soon became apparent that there was high learner absenteeism, high levels of substance abuse and a desperately low work ethic.
“The school had no identity, the children had no hope, no pride or sense of belonging and the teachers, whilst doing their absolute best, were burnt out.”
But, all of that was about to change.
With the retired principal on the frontline, things began to change, and in a single term the staff were able to increase the matric pass rate from 32% in June to 49% in September; only a few points away from the school’s target of 60% in September.
Principal Price even went as far as to write the lyrics to a school song that previously never existed as another way to instil school pride in the children.
Then, the adage that ‘it takes a village’ became all too true in the most literal sense after Price took to call on several communities to lend a hand in turning the school around in other all too necessary ways that would help him bring change and hope to both learners and staff.
“About 10 days ago, I posted my recent experience of Lotus High on Facebook onto 4 community groups I belong to…Bergvliet, Kirstenhof, Constantia and The Village.”
He suggested 5 ways for people to help:
- Paying the R600 school fee for a child
- Paying R2000 for a full school uniform package for a child
- Donating towards a paint facelift of the classroom corridors
- Donating tinned food, rice, flour, salt, pasta and other foodstuffs for the school feeding scheme
- Donating sanitary pads
The response was overwhelmingly positive. In just 24 hours, the principal’s emails were flooded with offers of help and generosity.
Vanessa Raphaely, founder of the online community The Village for one, stepped up and offered to pay school fees on behalf of the Village.
She tells Good Things Guy, that the Village raised around R44 000 for the school, with one of the Village Families even offering to paint the school and fix the roof.
Price adds that as a total, the paid and pledged money has reached R60 000. In just a matter of 10 days!
“I am incredibly grateful for the support,” he extends, adding that while the need for change in the above-mentioned areas is still great, the people who have made a difference have contributed to the hope of so many young people’s futures.
Anyone who can assist with any of the school’s needs and wants to be a part of this real-life, turn-around triumph can contact Stephen on lotushigh75@gmail.com.
Principal Price adds that he hopes that his time as caretaker will extend beyond December.
by 