GEORGE NEWS - One of the well-known alumni of George High School, Dr Enrico Pedro (63), passed away at Mediclinic George on 28 January due to Covid-19 complications. He tested positive on 6 January and was hospitalised three days later.
Prior to his retirement to Wilderness, the former regional manager of the Department of Higher Education and Training was stationed in Mahikeng in the Northwest Province, where he was responsible for technical and vocational education and training colleges (TVET colleges).
Pedro matriculated in 1975 at George High School and continued on to the University of the Western Cape (UWC) where he majored in history and philosophy.
Several years after his first degree he completed a Masters degree in history at UWC. In 1993 he received a scholarship from the Education Opportunities Council to pursue studies in the USA. He completed his doctorate at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville and received the Faculty of Education's award as the best doctoral student in 1997.
Following his university studies Pedro taught for four years at Pacaltsdorp High School. Later he took up teaching positions at Excelsior High School in Belhar and at Bellville College of Education.
According to his wife, Dr Alice Pedro, a former chief education specialist in the Northwest Department of Education, his death came as a huge shock.
"I'm totally in shock because I was ever hopeful. We were caught totally unaware. We hoped that he would survive - where there's life, there's hope. We wrote messages to him daily along with his favourite music and sent it to the ICU's tablet," she says.
Since his retirement, almost four years ago, Pedro undertook several projects.
According to his wife, "he was busy with so many projects" as well as his hobby, which is playing and composing music. His research continued apace and he spent hours writing and analysing many interviews on the anti-apartheid resistance history of the Western Cape during the 1970s and 1980s.
He was scheduled to travel to Cape Town for the recording of his composition Wilderness, dedicated to the seaside village of his retirement. Since his death, a demo audio recording of the song has been circulating on social media.
Pedro is survived by his wife, three adult children, their spouses and four grandchildren. A memorial service under Covid regulations was held on Wednesday 3 February in the Anglican Cathedral in George.
Several people posted their condolences on social media platforms, and paid tribute to the man they describe as a pathfinder, a motivator and a leader.
According to Dr Nkosinathi Sishi, a deputy director-general in the Department of Higher Education and Training, Pedro played a "significant role in the ushering in of the new curriculum" in 2005.
"He was an exceptional educationist set apart by his friendly attitude and effective leadership." In 2004 Pedro received the Northwest Education MEC's Excellence Award for his contribution to education in the province.
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