TZANEEN – Johan Henery has been appointed as the new principal of Meridian Combined School in Nkowankowa and says he is excited to join the school.

With 25 years of teaching experience, Henery acknowledges that leading a top-performing school such as Meridian comes with its own pressures.

He says his leadership will focus on four key areas: improving academic achievement, strengthening community engagement, developing teachers, and promoting discipline and sport.

Born and raised in Bloemfontein, Henery attended several schools during his childhood due to his dad’s work, which required the family to relocate frequently.

After losing his mom at a young age, he stayed in a hostel, where he became determined to succeed academically. His hard work paid off when he passed matric with good results and received a bursary to study BA Education at the University of Pretoria.

Henery began his teaching career at Hoërskool Lydenburg, where he taught for 15 years before spending five years in business. He later taught English, mathematics and physical science in Saudi Arabia and Oman.

In 2020, Henery was forced to return to South Africa after losing his brother, father-in-law and sister-in-law to Covid-19 within a four-month period. After attending to family matters, he returned to teaching and was appointed principal of Rising Academy in Malelane. Under his leadership, the school achieved its first-ever 100% matric pass rate in 2024.

He says his vision for Meridian Combined is to create a holistic learning environment that balances academics and sport.

“I believe learners also deserve the opportunity to excel in sport. Often, learners who struggle academically shine on the sports field, but without sport, they have no platform to express themselves,” he said.

Henery added that he maintains an open-door policy and encourages parents and learners to be disciplined and honest so that they can work together effectively.

He describes Lydenburg as home and lives there with his wife, Annelie, and their two sons.