School triumphs despite setbacks

SHE WAS held at gunpoint in an area with constant gang warfare. Yet the principal of Tafelsig High School in Mitchells Plain stood proud as she accepted an award on behalf of he school at the National Senior Certificate Awards at Leeuwenhof for the best improvement in Afrikaans.

The school’s principal, Ruschda O’Shea, said she was still over the moon: “I was very surprised. It is a bog boost for the school. I want to thank teachers Selwyn Lewis and Andrew Geldenhuys for their hard work. It is a great achievement because they also teach soccer and chess. They are very involved at the school.”

O’Shea said she and the teachers faced a lot of challenges due to the school being in an impoverished and gang-infested area.

She explained how she was held at gunpoint at the school a few years ago.

“It was after someone the gangsters were looking for ran into our office. I was then held at gunpoint after they wanted to know where the person was. After this my car was badly smashed by one of the learners. This happened after he did not want to be searched by security officers at the school. He left the office and later smashed my car. These were things we had to endure at the school. But despite that we go to school every day and teach. I honour all the dedicated teachers at my school,” she said.

At the National Senior Certificate Awards yesterday, Education MEC Debbie Schäfer said: “I must commend the principals and teachers who courageously face these challenges every day and strive to create a stable teaching and learning environment for our learners when there is violence outside the school gate.”