Selcourt Primary School’s new principal, Joe Tsotetsi (58), has outlined a vision focused on strengthening the school’s systems, maintaining its existing culture and creating an environment where learners, educators and support staff feel valued.

Tsotetsi brings more than three decades of experience in education, having started his career in 1991 as an educator before progressing to departmental head, deputy principal and principal.

He joined the Gauteng Department of Education in 2012 after working in the independent school sector. He later served as a departmental head and deputy principal at Brakpan Primary School before becoming principal of Thembalikazulu Primary School in 2018.

Reflecting on his career, Tsotetsi told the Springs Advertiser that his approach had always been centred on bringing positive change wherever he worked.

He said his move to the school was not about making a statement but about taking his experience to a new environment.

Tsotetsi said he believed his experience had allowed him to influence more people and create a lasting legacy.

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His vision for the school is to create an environment where everyone feels included, regardless of their background.

“We are a multi-demographic school. So everyone that is in this school should feel valued,” he said.

He identified three priorities for his leadership: establishing clear systems in which everyone understands what is expected of them, balancing curricular activities with extracurricular and co-curricular activities, and strengthening the school’s existing culture and reputation.

“We should not deviate from the culture that we have. Instead, just build on that one and strengthen and solidify that,” he said.

One of the school’s existing traditions that we are looking to revive includes the leaders’ camp and sporting activities. For learners, Tsotetsi identified respect and commitment as two key values.

“Respect goes a long way. Respect for yourself, respect for the environment, and respect for other people,” he said.

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He added that learners should also be committed to what they do and take responsibility for their actions. Tsotetsi shared that supporting learners who experience academic barriers would be a priority.

He believes existing education policies provide mechanisms to identify learners who need assistance, but schools must ensure those policies are properly implemented.

“If we as management are not able to address those issues, everybody gets frustrated,” he said.

Tsotetsi said parents also have an important role to play in supporting learners. He wants to strengthen communication between parents and the school and encourage parents to become more involved in school activities.

For the new principal, bullying, absenteeism and behavioural problems would be addressed through engagement, discussions and campaigns, he said.

Tsotetsi also wants to involve outside experts where necessary, particularly when addressing issues such as bullying. He believes learners are more likely to respond positively when they feel heard and respected.

He highlighted that ‘Touching the soul’ is important when dealing with discipline, arguing that simply punishing learners does not always lead to meaningful change.

The principal also wants to strengthen the relationship between the school and the surrounding community.

He has already engaged with the residents’ association and wants to work closely with stakeholders such as the Community Policing Forum to address safety concerns.

“We are serving the same community. So, as having the same community, there is no way that we can be found pulling in different directions,” he said.

One area being considered is transforming the school into an ICT-focused school.

He also wants to explore ways of increasing participation in sport and ensuring that suitably qualified people are available to support sporting activities.

He believes putting strong systems in place will help the school maintain its successes and ensure that progress does not depend on individuals.

For learners, parents and teachers, Tsotetsi said he wants his leadership to be remembered as consistent, caring and focused on improvement.

“A leader that cares, a leader that knows their stuff and a leader that seeks to improve at all times,” he said.

His message to the Selcourt community is that change should be approached with patience and purpose.

“Let us embrace ourselves for some calmness but well-directed movement and shift for our school and for the better of our school,” concluded Tsotetsi.