Stephen Price’s arrival at Lotus High, a school in Grassy Park with a low academic performance and a demoralized staff, marked the beginning of a journey of transformation. He identified students who needed extra help and instilled a sense of self-belief among them, resulting in a significant increase in the matric pass rate, from 32% to 65%. Price’s positive approach, coupled with infrastructure improvements, serves as an inspiring narrative of hope and the transformative power of education.
Stephen Price transformed Lotus High by identifying students who needed extra help and support, dialoguing with parents, instilling a sense of self-belief among the students, and rewarding improvement. His positive approach yielded results, increasing the matric pass rate from 32% to 65%. Infrastructure improvements were also made to the school thanks to the Department of Education’s initiatives and generous contributions from private businesses. The story of Stephen Price’s journey with Lotus High serves as an inspiring narrative of hope, resilience, and the capacity of education to bring about life-changing transformations.
Positioned in Grassy Park, a region notorious for its adversities, Lotus High was a school known for its low academic performance, with an incredibly low matric pass rate of only 32%. The school was suffering from a poor work ethic, discipline issues, and a staff that was deeply demoralized. A noticeable absence of hope for a promising future was prominent among the students.
Stephen Price, a recently retired principal, was brought back to the education field by the Western Cape Department of Education after just one month of retirement. His mission? To intervene and transform the dire circumstances at Lotus High.
As Price started his journey at the school, he was confronted with a formidable task. “I encountered issues such as a severely poor work ethic, a drastically low pass rate, indiscipline, no uniform code, and a noticeable absence of hope. The students lacked ambition and aspiration for the future, and the staff was deeply demoralized,” he revealed in a conversation with SABC News.
Price’s initial action was to identify students who needed extra help and support. In conjunction with this, he also began dialogues with the parents and jointly, they devised a comprehensive plan to combat the serious issues that were plaguing Lotus High. However, the most formidable challenge was to instill a sense of self-belief among the students. These were young minds who lacked confidence in their abilities to pass their exams, much less excel academically.
“Incrementally, we started to encourage them to believe in themselves, using motivation and praise when they achieved something, when they showed signs of improvement because, at that time, we could not reward academic excellence in the school,” he explained. This strategic shift from rewarding excellence to acknowledging improvement stimulated a positive response from the students, making them feel more accomplished.
Price’s positive approach gradually yielded results. One year into his stint, the school saw a significant increase in the matric pass rate – from 32% to an astonishing 65%. This remarkable improvement was applauded by the School Governing Body (SGB). An SGB member, Paul Martins, openly lauded Price, proclaiming him as the saving grace for the school. For the first time in 25 years, the school was experiencing tangible, positive changes, all thanks to Price’s efforts.
A poignant moment that underscored Price’s impact was when the students gave him a birthday card, expressing their gratitude. The heartfelt message stated, “You’ve taught us that there’s hope for our school and us, you made us earn the name of Lotus High, and now we are the best school in the Western Cape. We thought you wouldn’t last long at our school, but you stayed and bettered our school.” This response from the students was a seminal moment for Price, who realized that he was indeed making a difference in these young lives.
The metamorphosis of Lotus High was not confined to the academic and disciplinary sectors. There were also improvements made to the school’s infrastructure, thanks to the Department of Education’s initiatives and generous contributions from private businesses.
The story of Stephen Price’s journey with Lotus High is a testament to the power of determination, belief, and commitment. It underscores the transformative influence of a leader who deeply cares about the academic success as well as the overall wellbeing of his students. It serves as an inspiring narrative of hope, resilience, and the capacity of education to bring about life-changing transformations. His story is a guiding light for educational institutions everywhere, particularly those that grapple with similar challenges.
The matric pass rate at Lotus High before Stephen Price’s arrival was only 32%.
Stephen Price transformed Lotus High by identifying students who needed extra help and support, dialoguing with parents, instilling a sense of self-belief among the students, and rewarding improvement. His positive approach yielded results, increasing the matric pass rate from 32% to 65%. Infrastructure improvements were also made to the school thanks to the Department of Education’s initiatives and generous contributions from private businesses.
Lotus High was a school known for its low academic performance, with an incredibly low matric pass rate of only 32%. The school was suffering from a poor work ethic, discipline issues, and a staff that was deeply demoralized. A noticeable absence of hope for a promising future was prominent among the students.
Stephen Price’s initial action plan was to identify students who needed extra help and support, dialogue with parents, and jointly devise a comprehensive plan to combat the serious issues that were plaguing Lotus High. However, the most formidable challenge was to instill a sense of self-belief among the students.
A poignant moment that underscored Price’s impact was when the students gave him a birthday card, expressing their gratitude. The heartfelt message stated, “You’ve taught us that there’s hope for our school and us, you made us earn the name of Lotus High, and now we are the best school in the Western Cape. We thought you wouldn’t last long at our school, but you stayed and bettered our school.” This response from the students was a seminal moment for Price, who realized that he was indeed making a difference in these young lives.
Stephen Price’s journey with Lotus High serves as an inspiring narrative of hope, resilience, and the capacity of education to bring about life-changing transformations. It underscores the transformative influence of a leader who deeply cares about the academic success as well as the overall wellbeing of his students. His story is a guiding light for educational institutions everywhere, particularly those that grapple with similar challenges.
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