20 Up, and still counting!

Mr Brian Isaacs recently celebrated the completion of 20 years as principal
 of the school. He is by far the longest serving principal of SP.

It was 20 years ago that Mr MN Moerat announced his retirement from teaching. It fell to Mr Brian Isaacs to take over the reins at SP – an awesome and daunting task under any circumstances. But these were not just any circumstances. It was mid-year and mid-decade. These were the turbulent ’80s: the country in general was in turmoil, and the schools specifically were in a state of upheaval. This was hardly the ideal time for anyone, let alone a young and still relatively inexperienced teacher, to assume a principalship. But Mr Isaacs rose to the challenge, and 20 years down the line he is still going strong, never shirking the endless challenges which keep coming our way.

It is a tribute to Mr Isaacs that, not only did the school survive the ’80s, with its school and exam boycotts, but it emerged from the experience stronger and more committed than ever to keep fighting for social and political justice. One challenge followed another: the court battle with the department over their non-payment of substitute teachers, the fight against rationalisation of teachers, the run-ins with recalcitrant and narrow-minded departmental officials, the badly thought through introduction of OBE and, most recently, the as yet unresolved imminent loss of one of the two deputy principal posts. In all of these cases, Mr Isaacs stood firm, leading by example as he fought a principled fight.

During the 20 years the school has also undergone a number of physical changes, with the development of the old dust-bowl, now the AG de Villiers Field, the acquisition of two more pieces of land, named after Mr FA Coker and Mr MN Moerat, the building of a new staffroom and classrooms and, most recently, the completion of our new hall – and even that was not achieved without a fight.

Throughout, the staff of SP, with Mr Isaacs at the forefront, has succeeded in maintaining a high standard of education and high standards of discipline, ensuring that SP remains a school of excellence, where mediocrity is not an option.

Mr Isaacs, the SP community congratulates you on your 20 years as principal, and wishes you many more.

(16 July 2004)