Barbie Daniel

Passionate about education, Barbie Daniel believes that strong early childhood education is foundational for optimum holistic growth and development, and her career, spanning 44 years (37 as Principal) has been devoted to this end.

A product of Edgewood College, Barbie has a number of education diplomas which allowed for specialist training in pre-primary, junior primary and senior primary education, as well as remedial education and guidance and counselling. Always a life-long learner, Barbie’s Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education from the IIE (Independent Institute of Education) enables her to lecture in tertiary education and she has appreciated the ‘bookends’ of teaching pre-schoolers and lecturing B Ed (Foundation Phase) students at Varsity College. Barbie is currently engaged in master’s research through UKZN (University of KwaZulu-Natal), exploring the topic, ‘The Interplay of Leadership Styles and Experience in School Leadership: Storied Lives of Principals in South African Independent Schools.’

Barbie began her teaching career at St Martin’s Pre-Primary School in Durban, then moved to Pietermaritzburg at the behest of the Natal Education Department, to work at Tee See Pre-Primary, the ‘demonstration’ school attached to the Natal College of Education. Barbie opened one of the inaugural flagship Reception classes at Model Junior Primary in the mid-’80s. She then returned to Durban, as head of department, to Berea West Pre-Primary School and re-joined St Martin’s Pre-Primary School as the principal in 1987.

Barbie especially values the experience she had in serving on the Education Department’s Syllabus Committee and being involved in writing the curriculum for Grade R, ‘The Learning Through Activity Programme.’  She co-authored ‘A Basic Reception Class Certificate Course,’ a teacher’s training certificate course for the Foundation Phase. She continues to be involved in curriculum development and teacher-upgrade.

However, Barbie’s life is not all about education and she says she is a keen but sometimes frightful golfer and a voracious reader. Barbie has delighted in meeting Graham in the autumn of her life (at a SAHISA Conference!) and they enjoy travel and the bush. Barbie lives in Durban.