Altena Primary School principal Malinda Kruger and her business leader, health professional Yolanda Walsh, recently completed the 12-month Leadership Development Programme with Citizen Leader Lab.
Kruger, together with eight other principals and business leaders, were honoured at a prestigious event held at Val de Vine Restaurant in Stellenbosch. The principals and business leaders proudly shared their learning, and experience of the programme, how it benefited them, and how they applied their new skillset.
Jessica Batts, learning process facilitator in the Helderberg, said the programme provides leadership development and support to principals who hold the reins of schools that serve under-resourced communities. “As an organisation we strive to support school principals to become successful change agents who can transform their schools into effective environments for quality teaching and learning.
“We approach the schools as the unit of change and do so in collaboration with private sector business leaders who partnered with schools principals to support capacity building of the desired change pathway in target schools.”
Altena Primary School in Strand is a non-fee-paying school with 1 258 learners, most of whom come from smaller residential areas and informal settlements in and around the community. Despite the many challenges faced as a school community, both the principal and business leader are indeed proud of their achievements in this short space of time. A highlight is indeed the support of a few of the parents that assisted the school with the upgrading and revamping of their Grade-R facilities, putting in a few extra hours on a Saturday morning that saved the school a lot of money. A partnership with the organisation Uyavula and the Helderberg church community has made such a big difference assisting the learners with their reading challenges, promoting a culture of reading.
The principal and her team regard themselves as being privileged to have such a beautiful school, the result of much hard work and commitment, which they accept with a “can-do attitude”.
