Former maritime teacher Mr Brian Ingpen recently received a National Order of the Baobab Silver Award from President Cyril Ramaphosa for his contribution to education.
“I was privileged to receive this award but I must also point to the wonderful team of energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated people at Lawhill and also to the encouragement, support and generosity of sponsors from the local and international shipping industry who made it all possible. So any successes were the result of a team effort,” said Mr Ingpen.
In a statement, the National Orders are the highest recognition that the country can award citizens and eminent foreign nationals who have contributed towards the advancement of democracy and have made a significant impact on improving the lives of South Africans. The National Orders also recognise the contributions made by individuals towards building a non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous country.
The National Order of the Baobab Silver Award for Mr Ingpen has been endorsed and echoed by many shipping companies and luminaries in the maritime industry as well as maritime media, fellow educators and past and present learners, many of whom have embarked on worthwhile careers in the maritime industry thanks to his mentorship and Teachings.
According to the statement, Ingpen spent 46 years in education before retiring from active teaching at the end of 2019.
Ingpen has had an interest in shipping and all things maritime related since childhood. This led to him teaching Maritime Economics for 23 years as well as authoring nine maritime books for some large shipping companies. He also writes a weekly shipping column in a local daily newspaper.
He co-founded Simon’s Town School’s Maritime Studies Programme. A donor-funded, specialist education programme that aims to prepare youngsters for a career in the maritime industry, while they are still at school.
Ingben also compiled the National Senior Certificate-approved Maritime Economics curriculum for Grades 10, 11 and 12 which is taught at Simon’s Town School’s Lawhill Maritime Centre and at selected schools in KwaZulu Natal, the Eastern Cape and Gauteng.
Late last month at an event held in Pretoria, the award was bestowed on Ingpen for his contribution to maritime education.
In 2020, Ingpen worked with a video production team to turn the Maritime Economics curriculum into short, informative, multi-sensory videos to support maritime students who were affected by the pandemic.