Mr André van Staden, currently headmaster of Pearson High School in Port Elizabeth, has been appointed as the new Rector of Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch. He will commence duty on 1 May 2017. He succeeds Mr Jannie van der Westhuizen, who will be stepping down after 10 years as Rector, thereby ending an education career spanning 37 years, 25 of which as headmaster. Mr Van Staden has 32 years’ experience of education. He holds a BA degree and a postgraduate higher education diploma with continuous professional development. He started as a teacher at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth in 1984, where he later became Head of Department. He has been headmaster at Pearson High School since 2005. From 1988 to 1993, he was also a part-time lecturer at the University of Port Elizabeth. Mr Van Staden is married to Adia, and they have two sons, Quintin (23) and Kurt (21).
His education philosophy is based on the holistic and balanced development of learners to become responsible, happy and well-adjusted adults. In addition, his aim is for every student to achieve their full potential on an academic, sport and cultural level. Mr Van Staden’s appointment is the result of a long and thorough process of 9 months to identify the suitable candidate. We look forward to his arrival to lead Paul Roos in a challenging yet exciting education environment.
The governing body would also like to express its gratitude and appreciation to Mr Van der Westhuizen for his selfless and excellent service to Paul Roos Gymnasium. We wish him a happy retirement