New Hartzstraat principal aims to inspire and lead

As Hartzstraat Primary School’s newly appointed principal, Lydia Mposi Sekhonyana (50) not only hopes to reshape the standards of honesty and intelligence but is also driven to change the lives of the many learners who depend on her.

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Lydia’s journey in education began after she graduated from college and started teaching in 1996. She explained that, even though she lived in an era where she had to choose between teaching, nursing and the police, her decision was clear and final – she wanted to be an educator.

She set a legacy early in her career by becoming the first black woman to teach at Randfontein Primary School. Eventually, she had a breakthrough in 2000 and started working at Hartzstraat Primary School.

In 2009, her hard work earned her the title of departmental head, and she was appointed as deputy principal in 2016.

During 2021, after the former principal retired, she was appointed as acting principal.

It was only on September 19 of this year that Lydia was officially welcomed as principal.

“The staff at Hartzstraat were extremely welcoming and did not hesitate to show me the ropes. It is because of the wonderful staff that I am sitting here today. Their hospitality urged me to continue with my journey,” Lydia said.

She described herself as an honest person who believes in teamwork. She also explained that she is an open book and very much open to criticism.

We are all learning together and I am also still a learner,” she said.

To her, the most important quality a teacher can have is presentation.

“The way you portray yourself is crucial. We are dealing with very young learners, so we must lead by example. Honesty is also fundamental when working with children,” she explained.

To bring positive change to the school environment, Lydia is working with the School Governing Body (SGB) to establish various new programs, including rugby, choir and chess.

“We are living in an era where children are participating in gang activities, so it would be really beneficial if the school could work with an NGO. The school is situated in a poor community, which makes the current challenges far more difficult. Luckily, we have an extremely supportive SGB,” she added.

Lydia emphasised that the legacy she leaves behind is very important and hopes to be remembered as the loving and caring teacher that every learner can rely on.

She concluded that she has an open-door policy to encourage trust between her and the learners.