Hop, skip and jump to a better education
THERE is a new flight taking place from former Model C schools in Gauteng.
And it’s not white parents making the jump to expensive private schools, but middle-class families of all races ditching their initial suburban government school of choice for a better one.
Many are growing fussy about class sizes and the quality of teaching and facilities, so it is becoming a trend to hop between schools well away from where they live or work.
Principals at several primary schools in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs and on the East Rand confirmed this trend, which some say is largely driven by black families.
The Sunday Times spoke to several school principals, who said the shift was driven by, among other things, concern about the number of pupils in a class and the chances of securing a spot at a top-performing high school.
One of the schools that has experienced a shift is Brackenhurst Primary in Alberton where 43 out of 175 Grade 7 pupils are scheduled to enrol at private schools or high schools outside of the area next year.
The school’s principal, Anne Burger, said her top pupils would be enrolling either at Parktown Boys, Parktown Girls, Jeppe Boys, King Edward VII or private schools instead of at Bracken High or Alberton High, the two local high schools.
Some pupils from Saxonwold Primary in northern Johannesburg are moving to Parkview Junior or Parkview Senior, considered to be two of the city’s most sought-after primary schools.
At the same time, pupils from schools such as Norwood and Rosebank Primary are moving to Saxonwold Primary because it offers smaller classes.
Marion Wheater, headmistress at Saxonwold Primary, said the school’s draw card was the fact that it has a maximum of 30 pupils per class.
“In order to meet our budget, we have to attract the middleclass, paying parents. The pressure is for smaller classes and better technology. We can’t have 40 children in a class because then we would see the exodus,” Wheater said.
The school, which charges R14 025 a year, received 20 applications for admission to Grades 2 to 6 next year from pupils now attending Norwood and Rosebank primary schools.
“Our school is better disciplined. We have smaller classes and we have a swimming pool that is maintained,” said Wheater.
A mother of four from Parktown, who enrolled her daughter for Grade R at Saxonwold Primary for next year, said her decision was based on smaller
Parents try to get their children into the successful, standout, well-performing public schools
class sizes and the presence of teaching assistants.
“They have interactive boards and the teachers have laptops,” she said.
Paul Colditz, chief executive of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, said parents were becoming increasingly concerned about the quality of education in public schools, particularly in Gauteng.
“Parents try to get their children into successful schools, not necessarily ex-Model C schools, but the standout, well-performing public schools.
“Because of the pressure brought upon the functional schools, there’s a second movement from the functional public schools to private schooling.”
He said smaller classes played a pivotal role in parents moving their children to other schools: “You cannot maintain quality in classes of 40.”
The principal of Rosebank Primary, Les Lambert, said a significant number of black middle-class parents were sending their children to his school because they know that teaching and learning take place and teachers are in class.
Lambert said the school had achieved excellent results in the annual national assessments and its pupils stood a good chance of being accepted at top government high schools such as Parktown Boys, Parktown Girls, Hyde Park and Greenside.
Houghton Primary said it had received notification that at least five pupils were leaving for private schools next year.
Pupils at the school, whose parents pay an annual fee of R10 200, live in Yeoville, Norwood, Orange Grove and Berea. There are about 35 pupils in a class.
Birch Acres Primary School in Kempton Park, east of the city, said although it had 40 pupils a class, middle-class parents were not moving their children.
Jane Hofmeyr, executive director of the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa, said enrolments at independent schools had increased from 256 283 to 504 395 between 2000 and last year.
“Most new independent schools have been established to serve black or highly integrated, mid-income communities,” she said. “The major growth is coming from black middle-class families.”