St Francis principal – NN Naidoo retires
The retirement function was held at the Blue Marlin Hotel on Friday, March 25, and was attended by Mrs Reddy’s former colleagues, her family, and her friends.
The principal of St Francis Primary School, Mr N N (“Victor”) Naidoo retired at the end of March, and his farewell was held at the school on Friday, March 25.
Among the dignitaries present were Mr K P Reddy (circuit manager of Umdoni), Mr Faizel Dawood (Dududu Circuit), Mr R Maharaj, Mr P V Naidoo (principal of Pennington Primary School and representing the principals of schools in Umdoni), Mr S Ngwane (SGB chairperson) Mr Ramie Chowthee (community representative) and Attorney Mrs Dolly Gounden (former SGB chairperson).
In his farewell speech, Mr Naidoo said that his teaching career, spanning 39 years, had started in 1983 at the Umkomaas Secondary School, where he taught commercial subjects under principal H W Naidoo.
He also taught at Braemar Primary School, and in 1994 he was transferred as a level one teacher at his alma mater, St Francis Primary School.
Not only was this school special because he obtained his primary school education there, but also because he had strong family ties to this school. His grandfather’s brother, the late Mr Dick Naidoo, was a teacher at the school.
Mr Naidoo rose through the teaching ranks to becoming a head of department, a deputy principal, and eventually a principal, a position he held for almost 10 years. He thanked the staff, the school governing body, his family, and members of the community for their support during his tenure as principal.
Circuit Manager MR K P Reddy complimented Mr Naidoo on his high level of organisation and sound administration and stated that he had found it a pleasure to visit the school. The Dept. of Education’s 100% assessment of the school was well deserved.
In 2016, in the category: Principal: leadership, Mr Naidoo had been assessed as first in the district, first in the coastal cluster, and third in the province.
Mr Reddy stated that with Mr Naidoo’s ability to interact with officials of the department, and with the collective effort of the staff and the school governing body, he had been successful in achieving his goals.
He stated that Mr Naidoo’s community involvement, especially in the Park Rynie Civic Association, was such that the association was synonymous with Mr Naidoo. Speaking on behalf of the SGB, Mrs Moodley spoke highly of Mr Naidoo’s ability and many accomplishments in improving the assembly hall and the installation of CCTV cameras and an alarm system.
Mrs Moodley said that the SGB was indebted to Mr Naidoo for his noteworthy work ethic and for always providing comprehensive documents to the governing body.
The development of the school’s infrastructure had benefitted the learners and the staff. Mr Faizel Dawood stated that the two qualities that best described Mr Naidoo were effort and attitude.
The school had progressed in leaps and bounds under his leadership and he had left an indelible mark.
He had not only set the tone but was willing and able to mentor other educators so that the school was staffed by competent people.
‘You have sacrificed a lot for the school.
The time has now come to enjoy the rest of your life.’
Mr R Maharaj complimented Mr Naidoo on his camaraderie, his sharing of valuable knowledge, and his willingness to assist.
