A respected member of the education fraternity for more than 25 years has been appointed as the headmaster at the Golden Park Primary School in Bronville.
Alton Ontong was the school’s assistant principal for the past six years and is looking forward to his journey as principal.
The previous principal, Chris Frans retired at the end of 2021, and Ontong was appointed on 1 June.
“This is a dream come true for a personal goal I set for myself. I’m ready to serve the community and impart what I have learned over the years to the staff and learners,” he says.
Ontong has served as a teacher, head of department (HOD) and assistant principal.
He studied teaching at the Perseverance Training College in Kimberley and started his career as a teacher in 1996 at the Schmidtsdrift Combined School.
“I moved to Welkom in 1997 and was appointed in a temporary position at Bronville Primary where I taught Afrikaans and needlework. I was fortunate that my mother had showed me the basics, so needlepoint was not foreign to me,” Ontong laughs.
He then left to teach at both Golden Park and Welkom Secondary in various temporary positions.
In 2001 he was appointed in a permanent position at Golden Park, teaching Mathemetics, Natural Sciences and Technology to Gr. 4 and 7 learners.
Under the leadership of Frans, Ontong worked as the HOD as well as assistant headmaster.
Ontong said he is a firm believer in every student’s ability to learn, grow and develop and it is the school’s responsibility to create an environment where that process can take place. He is committed to supporting all students.
“The best part about this job is seeing that all the needs of the children are being met, and to see their progress and growth.”
–
