Disa Primary celebrates 60 years
Current and former staff and pupils of Disa Primary in Bonteheuwel gathered at the Anglican Church of the Resurrection’s hall, on Thursday June 13, to celebrate the school’s 60th anniversary.
A thanksgiving ceremony was followed by a three-course meal.
Speaking about the history of the school, retired principal Andy James said that when the area was developed in the 1960s, it was used as a “dumping site for coloured people by the apartheid government”.
“Disa Primary was birthed during a time of division - with the Group Areas Act. Most of our learners came from Claremont. Those were trying and unsettling years. When the school opened its doors, it only had classes up to Grade 3 for the first four months. In the early years, it was known as Modderdam Primary School. In the early 1970s, the school’s name was changed to Disa. Up until 1997, it was an Afrikaans-medium school, and in 2005, it became dual language. We were forced to make it dual language, as most parents wanted to enrol their children at English-medium schools. Disa is a true school of diversity, and I will always carry it in my heart,” said Mr James, who served the school for 40 years.
Dawn Africa-Karels, who was appointed as the school’s sixth principal two years ago, said the staff helped the school overcome the many socio-economic challenges it faced.
“We are blessed with a very awesome staff - hard-working and focussed. Our staff is completely diverse and everybody here is like a piece of a puzzle. Everybody brings their strength to the table and we play the ball, not the man. We are serving our children and we are acutely aware of the lack in their lives, and almost all of the staff come from the same circumstance.
“Our children are challenged. It’s not easy. We battle more than just their circumstances sometimes. We battle their socialisation, what they think of themselves, what their parents think of them, and we do it with a smile because we know the difference we are making.
“Every day we can see our children grow and develop, and we see the difference that our consistency, our love and the safe space we create, make in their lives. An improvement plan is what drives our school and a whole section on that is our humanity,” she said.
The school’s head-girl, Grade 7 pupil Kaamielah Abdurahman, said her teachers made learning “extremely fun”.
“Being part of the Disa family gives us many opportunities, like going on outings or doing science experiments. When we went to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, we discovered many things we didn’t know about. We really feel like we are part of a family because even on the days when it is rough, our teachers comfort us, and they create a warm, cosy and welcoming environment for us. When I leave for high school, I hope Disa will remain that safe space it has always been to all of us,” she said.
Former pupil Kim Thompson, who is now a subject advisor at the Western Cape Education Department, spoke about the importance of education.
“Education is a place of hope. Despite my circumstances at home, my teachers played a pivotal role in who I became. If I didn’t have teachers who walked alongside me and encouraged me, I wouldn’t have become the person I am today. In Bonteheuwel, life is hard and things are tough. Sometimes becoming what society dictates to you becomes an easier option, but it is the teachers who helped to shape me. It’s more than 20 years later, but I still acknowledge them, and I always speak about them because I know the struggles I had to go through. They were a beacon of hope,” Ms Thompson said.
