THE PILOT SCHOOLS

Adams College

This school remains an impressive example of a state school being well run and controlled by a highly competent principal and a strong governing body comprising parents and administrators. From a pass rate of 100% in 2008, the school had dropped to 88.8% at the end of 2009, but with an increased university exemption rate of 70%. The lower overall pass rate is attributed to a drop in maths and science results due to lack of available funding for necessary additional teachers. However, the college will be seeking extra help from external sources, and reports that the Chemserve Company has recently sponsored the construction of a state-ofthe- art science laboratory.

More resources, classrooms, staff and boarding houses are still needed, along with improved site services, but in general the school is currently managing well.

Healdtown Comprehensive High School

The Principal, Thomas Hagspihl, who was employed jointly by the Provincial Department of Education and the HSRP from the beginning of 2009, resigned in December 2010 to take up a position in Grahamstown. While at the helm for just two years, the matric pass rate rose from 38% in 2009 to 63% in 2010. This amply illustrates the effect of having a motivated leader at a school such as Healdtown. Healdtown has not had a new principal appointed as yet, however there is an acting principal in place for the time being.

TEACH SA Ambassadors remain in place at Healdtown and are providing continued support to supplement the teaching staff. This arrangement will be effective until the end of 2011 and will be reviewed for the 2012 academic year.

The demographic shift away from rural areas over the last 20 years has resulted in a decline in student numbers at Healdtown.

An area of concern with regard to Healdtown is the diminishing number of learners. The school draws learners from four villages in the near vicinity, but clearly there is a move away from Healdtown. Part of the challenge is the lack of feeder schools in close proximity to Healdtown. The natural flow for learners moving from primary school is to move to a designated secondary school close to the primary school. If we are to attract learners back to Healdtown we will need to look at providing a unique offering. To this end, we are in the process of looking at the establishment of a specialist maths and science centre at Healdtown that will attract learners and offer a specialisation not available elsewhere in the greater Fort Beaufort area. We are in discussions with various stakeholders and service providers to move this from a concept to a reality, possibly as early as 2012.

Inanda Seminary

Inanda is an exceptionally well-run school, with high commitment and morale among learners, staff and management, evidenced by a continuing 100% matric pass rate. It is one the better-resourced pilot schools and, since we have tended to concentrate more on those schools with greater needs, no gains have yet been made as a result of work we have done there. The school has very active alumnae and much of the urgent maintenance and upgrades are under way utilising funds raised by them. Notwithstanding this support, the school remains underresourced in some areas. The HSRP has produced an in-depth report on areas of need and will look to assisting Inanda in the 2011/2012 academic year.

Inanda’s alumnae have played a significant role in funding the restoration of the school and promoting academic excellence.

Inkamana High School

Inkamana is situated in deep rural KwaZulu-Natal and is one of those recently added to the list of HSRP’s pilot schools. Started by German Benedictine missionaries in 1923, it has an excellent reputation, consistently achieving a 100% matric pass rate with 100% university exemptions in 2010. Challenges at Inkamana are centred principally around the significant level of infrastructural work which needs to be undertaken. Comprehensive reports on infrastructural and educational needs have been drawn up by the HSRP and it is hoped that a renewed relationship with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education will see some of these needs addressed. We continue to press the Provincial Government for meetings so that some of the issues broadly affecting all five pilot schools in that province can be addressed.

Inkamana has a sound academic reputation but requires a significant amount of funding for infrastructural work.

Lemana High School

Since 2009, the school has been trying to move from its present position back to the historic campus. At that time a stakeholder meeting, which included government representatives, was held under the auspices of the HSRP where there was a decision by all parties that this was the right course of action. After consultation with the Provincial Government, the Department of Education, which had been using part of the historic campus as offices, vacated it in preparation for the school’s move.

Unfortunately, the move has still not taken place. Earlier in this report I wrote of the Presidential function which took place at Lemana High School and, despite the public assurances given by Premier Cassel Mathale, nothing has happened since the function. MEC for Education Mr Masemola was appointed as our liaison partner in accomplishing the move by the end of 2010, but to date securing a meeting has proved difficult and as a result the status quo remains at Lemana.

A purpose-built hostel (as well as other school buildings) on the former Lemana campus stands empty and show signs of deterioration

Minister Chabane, representing the President at the function and himself an alumnus of Lemana, was visibly taken aback when taken on a tour of the old campus and shown the functional buildings standing unused. The buildings remain in reasonable condition and include the enormous, recently-built school hall, state-of-the-art science laboratory and boarding houses – in which a few rooms are currently let to private individuals. Inevitably, infrastructural deterioration is taking place, despite some maintenance still being carried out and the constant presence of security guards.

The HSRP will continue to seek meetings with the Premier and necessary officials and leaders in order to try and fulfil the mandate of the stakeholders.

On a positive note, two “ambassadors” for supplementary teaching have been appointed to Lemana by Teach SA and are being funded by the HSRP for 2010 and 2011.

Ohlange High School

Ohlange was initially named in 2007 as one of the first HSRP pilot schools, but was then removed from the list in 2008 due to disturbances on campus that made it impossible for the HSRP-initiated financial and educational audits to take place. It was placed back on the list of pilot schools during 2009, at the request of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government. Ohlange is an iconic school, being the first to be founded by a black man, Dr J L Dube, and therefore extremely historically significant, so we are pleased to add it to our list once more.

Regretfully, since bringing this school back into the project there has been little movement. There have been a number of meetings with the Dube Foundation as to the way forward; however, until such time as there is a clear understanding between the Foundation, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education and the HSRP the challenges at this school will go unanswered.

St Matthew’s High School

As previously mentioned, St Matthews has benefitted, possibly more than the other pilot schools, through the involvement of our partners the Calabar Foundation and St Chad’s. Also as mentioned earlier there is significant work being undertaken presently at St Matthews, both by the HSRP and by the Provincial Government.

Notwithstanding the good state of buildings at St Matthews, the provision of the computer laboratory by Calabar Foundation, the reorganised library and many other benefits received by the school, the academic record of the school remains poor. During the course of 2011 and beyond work will be undertaken by the HSRP in looking at ways in which the academic achievements of the school can be enhanced.

Tiger Kloof Educational Institution

Tiger Kloof is another school that can boast a 100% matric pass rate for the past few years. Well run, with effective educational systems in place and an infrastructure in a reasonable state, the school is an excellent example of what can be achieved in a government school.

Like Inanda, it is currently one of the least needy of our pilot schools and has therefore been pushed somewhat to the back of the queue in terms of our energy output. However it is important to note that the school receives only minimal support from the Department of Education and relies for most of its funding on a private foundation based in Switzerland, which also provides school operational costs. This arrangement is not sustainable for the long term and other sources still have to be found to maintain the school in future.

Once again, school leadership is seen to be the key for the existing high morale and educational standards.

Vryheid Comprehensive School

Vryheid is one of the three latest schools to be added to the list of HSRP pilots. It is situated not far from Inkamana High School in the Vryheid area, but while Inkamana is a private institution, Vryheid is a government boarding school with only basic facilities provided for by the state. Previously it produced a standard 100% matric pass rate, but this has dropped over the past few years and is a cause for concern. Staff and management posts are not all filled and all members of the school management team are currently serving in an acting capacity.

Like the other schools, Vryheid has been through the HSRP-initiated educational and infrastructural “audit”. The current infrastructure is in reasonable condition but there are issues requiring attention, most urgently the replacement of an LP gas installation. The present school hall is a makeshift structure, consisting of a roof placed over the ground between two classrooms. A sports field is also desperately needed and to this end the National Lottery Distribution Agency has been approached for funding a facility that will serve both Vryheid Comprehensive and Inkamana.

Vryheid’s lack of resources is evidenced by the empty shelves in the school’s library.