CALLS are growing louder for SACS High School to employ a person of colour as its principal for the first time.
While the school has refused to comment on the matter, the provincial education department says current principal Ken Ball will reach compulsory retirement age in July 2017.
The appeal has sparked heated debate on social media between former pupils, with some suggesting the school hire a female principal.
Former SACS pupil David Stent posted on the SACS Old Boys Forum Facebook page, asking the school to provide assurances that the next principal would not be a white male.
“Surely after 190 years, some diversity can begin to creep in. We'd like the school to publicly acknowledge the fact that they have never had a person of colour in a position of leadership.
"Transformation needs to happen, and the best way forward is from the top down,” he wrote.
Damon Garty commented: “Seriously. You all need a smack on the side of the head. Since when was it your right based on the colour of your skin.
"The best person qualified to take the school forward and hold the high stature it deserves, not based on skin colour. Born free ...really ... get the chip off your shoulders and get on with it.”
Mervyn Crofton said: “My grandfather attended SACS as did my father… and it's always been male headmasters… that's tradition. To hell with gender-based equality. My grandsons will never go to SACS as long as there's a female (headmistress) there.
After a backlash, he later said if this happens, “then so be it. I'm sure if it does only the best female (headmistress) will be chosen”.
Former SACS student Taariq Amod said issues of transformation were brought up last year after the removal of the Rhodes statue from UCT.
“Even though the progress we made was very little, more and more 'born-free' Old Boys of all races are starting to join in the clarion call against these draconian and racist practices at the institution,” he said.
Provincial education department spokesperson, Paddy Attwell, said the department has not yet received a request to advertise the post.
“The department will apply the normal recruitment and selection processes when doing so, to recruit the best candidate for the post, using all the available tools for doing so, including competency-based assessment. The governing body will make a recommendation and the Head of Department will make the final decision,” he said.