Hopeville Primary principal retires and now plans to run the Mumbai Marathon

WHEN Avinesh Diviya Pillay walked through the doors of Hopeville Primary School to take on the role of principal, he brought with him the ethos of working and serving with love, kindness and respect.

Last Friday, Pillay, 60, from Redhill in Durban, left behind that legacy as he stepped into retirement after having had a career in teaching that spanned 38 years.

He grew up in the "close-knit community" of Havenside in Chatsworth with his father, a teacher, and mother, a nurse, as well as his brother and sister. But going back, teaching was not always Pillay's first choice.

The grandfather of one was once a firefighter.

After years in the teaching, Pillay joined Hopeville Primary School in 2022.

“I wanted another challenge and the experience to manage another school. They say God works in mysterious ways and this journey at Hopeville has gone beyond my wildest dreams. I am retiring on such a high. As much as I did not want this day to come, I am so happy because I am in a perfect space.The motto of the school is excellence with relevance and everything that is happening here is with excellence."

Pillay said retiring was the responsible thing for him to do because he was creating space for youth and new graduates to get jobs.

One of Pillay’s plans is to run the Mumbai Marathon in January next year.

Adrien Reddy, the school’s deputy principal, will serve as the acting principal until someone is appointed in Pillay’s place.