EVANDER – Mr Jaco van Wyk aims at taking Hoërskool Evander High School to another level with the help of pupils, parents and local businesses.
He was appointed the new principal of the school last month after being the deputy principal for three years.
Mr Van Wyk has the interest of the school at heart and would like to see pupils become better citizens and future leaders of this country.
He believes in order to build responsible future leaders, pupils should not only be taught content, but life skills as well.
He therefore began a new journey with the Youth Leadership Investment Network (YLIN) to bridge the gap.
YLIN’s goal is to empower young people.
They are planning a winter programme to help the school’s Grade 12 pupils.
Mr Van Wyk urged parents to be part of their children’s education by ensuring their children do their homework and by motivating them to excel at school.
The school has 850 pupils and 50 teachers, had a 89 per cent pass rate last year and their goal is to improve on the pass rate with the help of parents and pupils.
They also have eight student teachers who are studying through Unisa.
Mr Van Wyk asked local businesses to join hands with them to improve the lives of the pupils.
The school improved safety measures by installing cameras in all classrooms and they also have security at the gate to ensure the safety of pupils and teachers.
Mr Van Wyk has an open door policy and welcomes parents and pupils’ input.
When asked about the vision for the school, he said their vision as a school is to become a prominent landmark with a focus on excellent learning, sport and culture and the development of the pupils as a whole.
He grew up on a farm near Kinross, went to Laerskool Kinross and matriculated at Hoërskool Hoogenhout.
Mr Van Wyk met the principals of Laerskool TP Stratten Primary School, Mr Mossie Ourique, and Laerskool Hoëveld, Mr Danie Heese, during compulsory army training in Oudtshoorn.
“Now we are the principals of three Evander schools,” he said.
