I DO IT FOR THE KIDS

He was called out of retirement more than once to work his magic at struggling schools and now this former principal is finally ready to put his feet up

- NASIFA SULAIMAN

HE'D dedicated his adult life to education and was looking forward to his retirement to devote more time to his hobbies, relax with his wife and spend more time with his kids and grandchildren.

But Riyaadh Najaar had barely taken off his tie when he was summoned back to the principal's office. His skills were needed, the education department told him, and he needed to work his magic on struggling schools in the Cape metropole.

And so the 68-year-old left his retirement in his living room and rolled up his sleeves again. First, he took the reins at Windsor High, then Princeton High, then Livingstone High, and most recently at Alexander Sinton, which is where we meet him.

Riyaadh is in the process of wrapping up his stint at the school in Athlone, Cape Town. He was brought in last year to do what he does best - help matrics and improve the pass rate at the school.

It's a case of mission accomplished. Under his watch the school saw an improvement in the matric pass rate of more than 30% - from 60% in the September 2022 mock exams to 91% in the finals.

He's now preparing to hand over to the new principal, Ashrif Barday. "I really feel privileged to have been able to serve for this short period because I see a lot of potential at this school," Riyaadh says. "But we're still thinking of the 9% of the learners who failed".

Riyaadh's calm demeanour and the extra care and consideration he has for struggling pupils makes him stand out.

"In order to get results, one needs to focus on the learners who are struggling, he says. "A team is only as strong as the weakest link".

Riyaadh was principal of Spine Road High School in Mitchell's Plain for 25 years and under his stewardship it became one of the top schools in the area.

In 2014 and 2017 the school had a 100% pass rate, most of them university passes.