GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - United by a shared ethos, the four legendary traditional public schools of Queen’s College (QC), Girls’ High School (GHS), Queen’s College Boys’ Primary School (QCJ) and Balmoral Girls’ Primary School, announce themselves as “Four Schools, One Family” in the picturesque town of Queenstown in the rural Eastern Cape Chris Hani district.
On 19 June, the schools, with boarding facilities, will host a collaborative Open Day for parents and prospective learners. They will walk the hallowed corridors and receive information on the facilities, boarding facilities and scholarships available to top academic, sport and cultural achievers.
This year the Department of Education in the Province of the Eastern Cape (ECDoE) appointed a new head for each of these schools, and Open Day 2018 heralds the launch of their formal collaboration. Roughly 2 300 learners are currently educated on the extensive campuses of these renowned schools.
On the day, leadership will address the audience and offer guided tours of their campuses. Visitors will see how their academic, cultural and sporting programmes run.
One of the schools, QC, has already celebrated two milestones this year: its 160th anniversary and its Vision 175 Symposium. It has also recently upgraded the recreational facilities of its hostels and will soon break ground for a new High Performance Centre on its sports grounds.
Approximately 280 staff are employed by both the ECDoE and their independent School Governing Bodies (SGBs). The schools are affiliated to FEDSAS, the national representative organisation for governing bodies, which upholds the highest recognised international educational standards.
Education Department Superintendent General Themba Kojana says, “In the last few years we have supplied technology to these schools to run an application that integrates with the South African School Administration Management Solution (SA SAMS). It is important for the Department that schools are well-equipped hubs that benefit the community as a whole.”
Building on this support and guidance of the Department, the schools are embarking on extensive IT infrastructure programmes to position themselves competitively.
The schools would like to continue the tradition of educating the children of families that live in towns such as Mthatha, Dordrecht, Tylden, Barkly East, Whittlesea, Sterkstroom, Aliwal North, Ugie, Maclear, St Francis Bay, Lady Frere, Molteno, Tarkastad, Steynsburg, Cofimvaba, Graaff Reinet, Middelburg and Jeffery’s Bay.
Says Janse van der Ryst, QC’s headmaster: “Our movement relies on us encouraging our boys to think for themselves, whilst being guided. For 160 years, QC has strived for our boys to be good men and leaders who contribute in a positive way to society once they leave our school. Gentlemanly behaviour, participation, care, serving a higher cause - these are the character traits by which our boys live.”
Leading businessman and Chairman of QC’s SGB Allister van Schoor explains that ‘Four Schools, One Family’ developed as a concept from his SGB’s belief that, “Collaboration will enable us, and the families we serve, to achieve our goals faster. We keep our schools affordable and help keep our families together and focused on education, without big-city distractions.”
Headmaster of GHS Theo Anaxagoras says, “We have achieved a 100% pass rate for 26 successive years and intend developing ourselves as Eastern Cape school leaders in Science and Maths. We are focused on increasing our matrics’ Bachelor passes and A aggregates. We shine as a beacon of hope for what is possible when a diverse group of people truly embrace Inclusion for the good of its town, its families, its businesses and the country as a whole.”
Bianca le Roux, the newly-appointed headmistress of Balmoral Girls’ Primary School, stresses that families who want to give their children a good grounding and a seamless transition into high school will do well to consider Queenstown. “Our small town primary schools offer the unique comforts of warm personal relationships and a safe community, but we also have the advantage of impressive sports facilities - ones that match those of the country’s bigger cities.”
Colin Hartley, Acting Head of QCJ concludes that, “It’s wonderful to see the activities of our strong and transformed Parent Teacher Association and feel the support of the strong SGBs and Queen’s College Old Boys Association. We strive to produce young citizens that exhibit values of commitment, respect, honesty and loyalty. As a whole, we’re evolving and are committed to staying relevant to the communities we serve.”
For further information on the Open Day, please contact: Donavan Holmes, Marketing Department of Queens’ College at 045 839 4188 ext. 210 or email: dholmes@queenscollege.co.za.
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