Generations of pupils and teachers have paid tribute to Les Faiers, whose craftsmanship and mentorship at Clarendon Park Primary School helped shape the future of thousands of youngsters.

Few people leave a mark on a school the way Les Faiers did. For 48 years, he was an essential part of Clarendon Park Primary School in Gqeberha. Even after retiring, he never truly stepped away.

As hundreds of tributes from the "Clarries family" pour in, staff, former pupils and friends will gather on Monday, 28 July to remember the man who made the school's woodwork room a second home and believed in every underdog who walked through the school gates.

Faiers died on Wednesday after suffering from ill-health. Despite retiring from teaching three years ago, he was still involved in the school community.

While he played an invaluable role in the education of thousands of pupils during the almost five decades that he taught at Clarendon Park Primary School, his service stretched beyond his time in the classroom.

"Teaching is not just a profession, it is a calling. And no one embodied that more than Mr Faiers. Teaching was truly his life's passion," said Clarendon Park Primary School principal Derryk Jordan....