More than four decades after Zerena Barendilla first dreamed of becoming a teacher while growing up in East London, she has now been named the Western Cape’s top secondary school teacher. She tells Maswazi Xalabile that teaching is her “calling” and “a fire that burns inside me”.
After 42 years in the classroom, Zerena Barendilla is living the dream of the young girl she once was.
Barendilla has spent the past 23 years at Queen’s Park High School in Cape Town, and this year was named provincial winner in the Excellence in Secondary School Teaching category at the Western Cape Teaching Awards. She will also represent the province at the national awards in October.
“I grew up in East London in the Eastern Cape, and from a very young age, while still in primary school, I somehow just knew that I wanted to become a teacher,” Barendilla told News24.
“At the time, I could not explain what drew me to the profession – it was simply a dream that took root in my heart.”
Looking back, Barendilla says she now understands that what drew her to teaching was something deeper than a childhood ambition.
“I now realise that it was more than just a childhood dream; teaching was my calling,” she said. “It has given me the opportunity to shape lives, inspire young people and, in turn, be inspired by them.”
“If I had the opportunity to choose my career all over again, I would still choose teaching without hesitation,” she told News24.
Nomination, honours and a fire inside
Her nomination came from Wendy Solomons, an education specialist at the Western Cape Education Department, after Barendilla assisted with the tourism curriculum for the past five years.
After some thought, she accepted it – never expecting it would lead to a provincial honour.
“This recognition has become so much more than an award – it has been a deeply personal reflection on a lifetime of purpose, passion and service. Indeed, a beautiful culmination of a 42-year journey.”
Barendilla has achieved a 100% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate examinations in Consumer Studies, Hospitality Studies and Tourism over the past 23 years at Queen’s Park High.
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Ask her what has kept her motivated for more than four decades, and her answer is one word: passion.
“I describe it as a fire that burns inside me, and 42 years later that flame still burns brightly,” she says.
“I make them understand that excellence does not belong to the most talented, the most privileged or the most fortunate. Excellence is a choice,” she tells News24. “It is found in their attitude, their effort and the discipline and willingness to keep going even when faced with challenges.”
‘Not about being a celebrity’
Principal Nicolene Abrahams has described Barendilla as the school’s “celebrity” following her win – a label the veteran teacher wears with characteristic humility.
“For me, this recognition is not about being a ‘celebrity’,” she says. “It is about having the privilege of representing Queen’s Park High and putting our school on the map.”
Barendilla says the recognition fills her with immense gratitude, but her greatest pride lies in the lives she has touched.
“This award may carry my name, but the journey belongs to all of us.”
On the national stage
Barendilla represented the Western Cape at the National Teaching Awards in Johannesburg during the adjudication stage last week, an experience she describes as an incredible honour and a responsibility she does not take lightly. The winners will be announced on 1 October.
“I felt deeply humbled, filled with gratitude and pride, determined to represent my school and the Western Cape to the very best of my ability,” she says.
“Whatever the outcome, reaching the national stage is already a remarkable milestone in my journey.”
When asked to single out a defining moment, Barendilla says it is impossible to choose just one, because every generation of pupils had left something with her.
However, the moments that stand out most are when former pupils return to tell her that something she said, a gesture she made, or simply her belief in them, made a difference.
“The affirmations from learners across social media platforms during this process have made me realise that the countless hours, sacrifices and sometimes moments of doubt were never in vain,” she says.
Barendilla thinks particularly of pupils who came from very challenging circumstances, who at times wanted to give up, but who persevered and went on to build successful lives and careers – some even beyond the borders of South Africa.
“Witnessing this reminds me that teaching has never been about the subjects I taught, but about seeing the potential in young people before they could see it in themselves,” she says.
“Winning this provincial award has been an incredible honour, but seeing a learner rise above their circumstances and knowing that I played a small part in that journey is probably the greatest reward of my 42-year educational journey.”
Maswazi Xalabile
www.news24.com