By now most of you would have heard that I will be leaving Durban High School at the end of the year. I have accepted the post of Principal of Fairmont High School in Cape Town and will be relocating at the end of the year.
The three and a half years I have spent at DHS have been some of the most enjoyable and rewarding years of my life. In a very short time, DHS has crept into my heart and it has been an extremely difficult decision to make. I was indeed fortunate to be trusted to lead this fine school. While there were difficult times, the good times and progress we have made in many areas have far outweighed the challenges we had to face. DHS is a beacon of hope for all Government schools in South Africa and a bright future lies ahead for it. I have had tremendous support from all involved in DHS and I have no doubt that, with this kind of support, the new Head will continue with the momentum that we have created for this great school.
I am indebted to all the DHS boys, staff, parents, SGB and Old Boys who have made it possible for me to be the best Head I could possibly be. I must extend a special word of thanks to the Trustees of the DHS Foundation, under the leadership of Chris Seabrooke, for backing me all the way and for the support they have given me.
As a family it has always been our intention to return to Cape Town, where we came from. The timing is not ideal but it is not within our control when a post like the one I accepted becomes vacant. When I arrived at DHS I spoke to the Grade 9’s of that year, who are now in Grade 12, and I assured them that we would walk the journey together until the end of our 150th year. That promise I was always going to keep, no matter what. For my own career path it is now time to return to my home town, but I have no doubt that I will miss DHS dearly.
I am only leaving at the end of the year and want to assure the DHS family that I will continue to give of my best until my departure in December.
Leon Erasmus
14th Head Master
