Liane van der Merwe made history after being appointed as the first woman principal of Potchefstroom High School for Boys on Wednesday, 19 October. The school is 117 years old.
According to Van der Merwe, she started as a young teacher at Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom and later joined Hoërskool Wesvalia, where she taught for one year. She finally settled at Milner High School in Klerksdorp in 1993. She always thought she would end up retiring as an educator at this school. Little did she know that the 13 years as a teacher at Milner prepared her for the next step, the position of Departmental Head of Commercial Subjects until 2009.
That same year, van der Merwe was appointed as the Deputy Principal of Milner High School where she was actively still teaching while supporting the principal with her duties.
Although van der Merwe had been appointed as the Deputy Principal, being the principal of any school was the furthest thing from what she had ever imagined.
Potchefstroom High School for Boys was going through a rough patch when van der Merwe was requested, by the Department of Education, to be the Acting principal of the school. “I never thought of myself ever being responsible for an all-boys school”, she said. As soon as she received this offer, she went home to pray for guidance on which path to take, and her husband confirmed she had to accept the position.“ The initial agreement was to only assist for a few months,” she said.“ But much to my surprise, I have now been appointed as the principal,” she said in disbelief.
“ I work with divine guidance and praying is what I do when I drive back to Klerksdorp every day after school,” she said. Her appointment was received with enthusiasm from all over as she promised that with dedicated staff and various interested parties the team will lead this school to become the institution of choice that it once was.
Van der Merwe says Potchefstroom High School for Boys lies close to her heart and one of her priorities is to rebuild the school, with the help of all stakeholders, into the prestigious school that it was with all its traditions.
