Quinton Coert, the newly appointed principal at Plantation Road Primary, promises to lead with love in his new role.
Although the headmaster has only been in the position for a week since the start of the term, he is intent on making his tenure as principal at the school positive and transformative.
Mr Coert previously taught and was a deputy principal at Mandalay Primary School for 30 years and had a stint as an acting principal at Washington Drive Primary School in Mitchell’s Plain before starting his journey at Plantation Road Primary, not far away from where he grew up in Fairways.
Although he has since moved to Southfield, Mr Coert has always known that he would be back in the south to teach children from Parkwood, Lotus River and the broader community.
“I loved my time at Mandalay but I felt the time was right to move to my community and plough back as much I can. We all know the hardships faced by the community of Parkwood specifically and I want to invest what I have learnt into the school, pupils and community,” said Mr Coert.
Some of the things he will be focusing on include an upgraded e-learning facility or computer lab as the school currently only has 15 functioning computers for 850 pupils. He also plans to improve the cultural and sporting codes at the school by upgrading the field.
“With the help of parents and the broader community I want to make our field a safe space where pupils can play various sports because at the moment we have to hire landscapers to cut the grass and keep it clear. This costs a lot of money that can be spent on more pressing needs at the school.”
He also plans on improving the school library.
His time at Plantation, although short, has been an adjustment but Mr Coert said the staff and teachers have been very welcoming and friendly and he looks forward to building relationships and to ‘lead with love’.
“My vision is for Plantation Primary School to be the outstanding school in Grassy Park, Lotus River and Parkwood and improve what we can offer the learners and our performance when it comes to systemic results. That’s my starting point and stepping stone to compete in all codes and academics with schools like Bergvliet and Wynberg Boys. Our children are talented and are very capable. It’s our job as teachers and parents to get the best out of them and give them the opportunities.”
To assist Mr Coert and the school with his vision to plough more resources in the school by donating laptops, computers, sporting or gardening/landscaping tools, contact him on 021 705 6123.
