VEREENIGING.- It’s a new year, and General Smuts High has a new, young, dynamic principal. However, Hendrik Opperman faces a huge challenge, but if anyone can do it, it is him.

He was officially appointed head of the school shortly before the December holidays, but will only be able to make a real change at the start of the new school year. Opperman is a born and raised ‘Valie’ who matriculated at the former Technical High School Vereeniging in 2003 and boasts about 20 years of experience in education. On October 5 he was honoured as a Special Needs Leadership finalist during the National Education Awards.

He taught at a number of local schools, and was also involved in opening a new special school, Isizwe Setjhaba Special School.

“Because I am from the Vaal, I know what General Smuts was like in earlier years. I aim to restore this school to its former glory,” says Opperman. It is not strange for Opperman that as an Afrikaner he has to take charge at an English school with mostly black pupils.

“At Isizwe I was also the only Afrikaner member of the staff. I think my reputation helped me. I can work with everyone and am very interested in black culture. “I can’t speak Sotho fluently, but understand enough so that I mostly know what is being said,” explains Opperman.

His short-term goals include getting all the systems in place so the school can function as it should. Currently, the infrastructure needs a lot of attention. The toilet facilities are the biggest problem.

“Of course, there is the hostel, which is run down. I have already been approached by a few football academies who will make the funds available to repair the hostel.”

The hostel can accommodate around 180 children.

As for the school’s sports fields, the institution does not currently have the equipment to repair and maintain it.

• General Smuts High boasts a huge matric class of 280 for 2025.