Mr SD Ndebele

The second of our 4 articles written by students from our social media journalism club on Mr Girvin's illustrious career at HHS is shared below - the notable 90's!

𝗛𝗛𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗔 𝗝𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗠 𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗕: creating content for our school community
A series of articles has been compiled by the Social Media club looking back over the decades of Mr Girvin's service to our school. This second article looks at the 1990's - a time of great change both in South Africa and in Mr Girvin's career!
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬’𝘀 - Path to Headmaster
by Kiarra Chetty (Gr 10)
During this crucial and monumental time in South Africa, Mr Girvin recalls the New South Africa changing Hillcrest High and his teaching. Mr Girvin recollects that even before 1994, it was clear that big change would soon be arriving. This was affirmed by FW De Klerk releasing Nelson Mandela from prison in 1990. At this time previously white schools were given the choice to admit non-white students and to become Model B schools. Mr Girvin says that the Hillcrest High parents voted overwhelmingly in favour of admitting non-white students and in 1991 Hillcrest High admitted the first 5 students of colour. Mr Girvin says, “I will never forget Mr Garrett conducting a Friday morning assembly and saying that from Monday this would be a different school as these students were starting school on the Monday.”
Mr Girvin recalls the racial integration being quite a smooth process at HHS without serious issues of racism or discrimination. He also remembers our very own Mr Ndebele as being among some of the first non-white staff at the school. He started out in the printing room, then became a laboratory assistant and today is our Grade 10 Grade Controller and Subject Head of isiZulu!
Mr Girvin’s position on whether the education system has progressed or regressed is that in many ways we have progressed, when speaking of fee-paying institutions. Moving from a knowledge-based to a skills-based education system has benefited our society and education has expanded and developed in pace with the times, especially in terms of technology. Mr Girvin did, however, mention the sad fact that not all schools in South Africa have had the same progress as ours, with a huge gap having arisen between fee paying and non-fee paying schools.
Among the famous highlights of the 90’s, Mr Girvin has some of his own. He fondly remembers annual tours made with Geography students to Cape Town as well as the Grahamstown Arts Festival for schools. At the beginning of the decade he had become more accustomed to the school, the learners and staff and by 1988 he had already been made a Department Head (what we now call Grade Controller). In 1993, he was appointed as one of three Deputy Principals after only teaching for 8 years at HHS! The height of his career began when Mr Girvin became Acting Principal in 1999, after which he was appointed the Principal of HHS, a role which he filled for over 20 years!