Milnerton High School’s new principal, Gert van Tonder, says he wants to help every pupil and teacher “achieve their goals”.
Mr Van Tonder, who was the principal at Bosmansdam High School for four years from 2021, takes over from Paul Besener, who retired last year (“Milnerton principal leaves lasting legacy,” Tabletalk, December 11, 2024).
Originally from Mpumalanga, Mr Van Tonder, who graduated from the University of Johannesburg in 1998, has been in education for 27 years. Before his stint at Bosmansdam High, he was the assistant director for e-learning at the provincial education department’s metro central district office.
He said his mission was to “inspire pupils to become better versions of themselves, via education”.
A week into his new job, Mr Van Tonder said Milnerton High already had a “special place in his heart” and he would stick to the goals and values of his predecessor in striving for excellence.
“He (Mr Besener) has laid the foundation, and we, including the educators, are working hard to continue making this school one of the best.”
“I realise that it’s quite a big challenge for the kids to believe in themselves, and I hope that we can change that, and give each individual a sense of belonging by providing them with the opportunities,” he said.
Mr Van Tonder said he was grateful for the opportunity to work with the teachers at Milnerton High School, as he realised that they all had the same goal: to put the pupils first and give them the best.
He added that his long-term goal was to make Milnerton High School the top school in the country.
