Michael Mavovana is not just a principal, but a visionary leader who has transformed a school, a community, and the lives of countless learners.
As the inspiring principal at Hector Peterson Secondary School in Wallacedene, Mavovana’s vision to provide quality education to learners from economically challenged backgrounds translated into exceptional results for the school, with the Grade 12s achieving an impressive 92,6% pass rate and a 52% Bachelor pass rate during the 2022 National Senior Certificate examinations.
Furthermore, enrolment at the school increased from 1 200 learners in 2017 to 1 685 in 2023.
For his valuable contribution he was bestowed with the award for Excellence in Secondary School Leadership at the Western Cape Provincial Teaching Awards for 2023.
The announcement came last Friday evening at the annual awards ceremony now in its 23rd year.
“With an illustrious career spanning 35 years, Mavovana is an esteemed figure in the field of education.
“His legacy is one of growth, empowerment, and unwavering commitment to excellence in education.
Throughout his career as educator, he has been a driving force for positive change and transformation,” provincial education minister David Maynier said on the occasion.
Achieving fullest potential
The award was motivated by the holistic development Mavovana fosters among learners and strategies employed to create an environment that encouraged learners to achieve their fullest potential.
Speaking to TygerBurger Mavovana said “a little encouragement goes a long way. I supported them and they did the rest – learners, teachers and parents.
“If a school is not performing, community support dwindles, and we had to win back the confidence of the school community. This we did by arranging meetings with parents to encourage them to work with us.
“Parental involvement was needed to make this school the school of choice in the community.
Under his leadership the school initiated extra morning, afternoon, and weekend classes for matric learners as well as an orientation camp for Grade 8s.
“The school doesn’t have a school hall, so we needed to arrange a camp for the Grade 8s. It is pivotal to identify learning problems when the children enter high school to address it successfully,” he says.
Extramural activities
Apart from academic achievement, he has placed a strong focus on extramural activities by arranging interprovincial sporting tournaments with other schools.
“Over the last three years the school raised funds to buy a combi and did so last year to transport learners to tournaments,” he says.
The school started a girls rugby team, of whom six players played provincially this year. Furthermore, the school has opened doors for cross-cultural exchange programmes, enabling staff and learners to experience education in countries like the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, the United States of America and India.
“By doing this we hope to open up opportunities for these gifted learners,” he says.
“I was pleasantly surprised with the award and is still trying to process it. I am grateful to the department for the acknowledgement, and I thank the school community, teachers, parents, learners, and the school governing body.”
