A life well lived: journey from teacher, principal to author

When Simon Boiki Ntsimane’s doctoral  research came to a standstill after his supervisor died, and he was not swiftly allocated a new research mentor, he did not let these unfortunate circumstances derail him. He finished what he started.

Ntsimane, 68, decided to convert his research into a book in 2003. 

The former educator and school principal recently published his book, titled Towards Advancing Democracy In SA Schools: A South Africa – America Experience.

The book, which was published in September, covers issues that plague public schools – such as poor infrastructure, corporal punishment, racism, gangsterism, sexual assaults by teachers, and the impact that Covid-19 had on schools, among others.

Ntsimane, who lives in Akasia in Pretoria, enrolled for a PhD in education with the University of Pretoria (UP) in 1999. The topic of his thesis was “Teaching strategies for the democratisation of SA schools in the North West province”.

In the same year, Ntsimane was selected by UP as one of 10 students to participate in an international study programme in the US for 21 days to gather research for their PhD theses.

It was this visit that opened his eyes as to how SA’s school were far behind compared to other countries.

“I was the only black person who went to America. One night, as we were seated with students from America, one white lady told me to go back to South Africa and write something about my experience here,” Ntsimane told Sowetan.

“After coming back from America, my plan was to include the state of schooling in that country in my research. Unfortunately, my supervisor died in 2003 and I had to pause my research. The university took a long time to find a replacement [supervisor] for me. With all the information I obtained in America, I was not willing to let it go to waste. I had already completed four chapters of my doctorate. I had to do something with that information,” said Ntsimane.

He started writing the book in 1999 and it took him more than 20 years to complete due to the number of educator and principal posts he occupied over the years, and having to juggle between work and studies.

“There are many wrong things happening in our schools that are going against democratic ideals. And what’s upsetting is that teachers are involved in these wrong things. There are reports of corporal punishment, sexual assault by teachers, dilapidated infrastructure with children falling into pit toilets and lack of water and electricity. Our education is in a crisis. I wrote this book because of the dilapidated state of our education,” he said.

During his research, Ntsimane interviewed pupils, teachers and school governing bodies at high schools in the North West, as well as education experts in the US.

Ntsimane said his book provides strategies for how education officials, teachers and parents can play a role in improving conditions at schools.

“It will be difficult to stop all the ills affecting our schools but we can try and strengthen our systems so that we can detect the problems. We should shout out loud when we discover the problems and do what we can to get rid of them,” he said.

Ntsimane grew up in Phokeng, Rustenburg, where he did his primary schooling and completed his matric. He went on to complete a junior secondary teacher’s course at Hebron College in Benoni in 1977. He has since taught at various schools in Gauteng, North West  and Northern Cape.

In 1995 he published his first book – a Setswana novel titled Poba ka Pelo.

His last job was as a principal at Ikatisong Secondary School in Brits. He held the position from 1993 until 2012, when he became a pensioner. He has served as an educator for 35 years.

Ntsimane currently lives with his wife and 34-year-old son.

“I wish to open a consulting company where I work as a motivational speaker who goes to schools and give them strategies on how to overcome the challenges at schools,” said Ntsimane.

kokam@sowetan.co.za