MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Curro Mossel Bay started the new school year on 12 January with Etienne Smit as the new head of the high school phase.

"We are thrilled to have Etienne as part of our management team," said executive head of Curro Mossel Bay, Brian O'Neil. 

"His appointment is a testimony of the positive growth experienced at our school. He brings with him a lot of expertise, not only in his subject field, but also in terms of management skills," O'Neil noted.

He explained that Smit's appointment would now free up his time to focus on the further strategic development of Curro Mossel Bay.

Smit hails from Secunda, where he started his career in education following his studies at North West University. His field of expertise is electrical technology and engineering graphics and design. Smit's career path led him to the United Kingdom, where he taught at a school for learners with special needs.

Here, he helped to establish a science department, following the development of a specialised curriculum. The curriculum was developed with input from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

On his return to South Africa, he was offered a senior position at a small school with 120 learners in Kinross, close to his hometown, Secunda. Following this, he moved to Laerskool Trichardt, where he founded a department for specialised activities and spearheaded other exciting developments before continuing his career at Curro Secunda.

"There is not a single part of being an educator and teaching that I do not love. I have taught learners from Grade 4 to Grade 12, at small schools and large schools. My philosophy is to turn bread into cake. The same ingredients are used to make both, but excellence in doing so ultimately makes the difference."

Smit also has a long involvement with the Independent Examination Board.

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