Principal’s ‘sunflower strategy’ gives Cape Flats pupils hope beyond gangs and poverty

When Antonio Michaels took over as principal of Blackheath High School in Cape Town four years ago, one of his first decisions was simple but symbolic: remove every piece of graffiti from the school’s walls.

For Michaels, clean walls were about more than appearances. They were part of creating a safe space for pupils growing up in communities where poverty, crime , gangsterism and substance abuse are part of everyday life.

“What happens in society is reflected in our schools. We can’t change what happens in society, that is out of our control. But what we can control is giving these kids a quality education and a safe environment,” Michaels told the Sunday Times.

“To me, a safe environment also means clean walls with no graffiti. Whenever somebody writes on our walls, we simply paint over it.”

Michaels was among 14 teachers honoured at the National Teaching Awards provincial ceremony in Cape Town on Friday.

Blackheath High, situated on the Cape Flats, serves pupils from communities grappling with socioeconomic challenges, including poverty and crime .

Michaels said substance abuse, contact crime, late coming and limited parental involvement were among the challenges affecting pupils.

“We have pupils who are smoking dagga, we have late-comers, and socioeconomic challenges are among the biggest problems we are faced with. Parental involvement is also one of our challenges,” he said.

With gangsterism prevalent in some of the communities from which his pupils come, Michaels has adopted a firm philosophy: whatever happens outside the school gates should stay there.

“If it comes into the school, we will deal with it according to our code of conduct. We do get fights at school from things that have flowed over from the weekend, but it’s not as serious as at some other schools because the kids know that at this school there are consequences.”

Peer pressure, he said, was another major factor steering some pupils in the wrong direction. The school runs monthly anti-bullying campaigns as part of efforts to keep pupils focused.

But Michaels does not want pupils to believe that the circumstances into which they were born must determine where they end up.

His approach is captured in what he calls the school’s “sunflower strategy”.

“Despite what you face, you can achieve. A sunflower always turns towards the sun,” he said.