From the desks of the principals

AL-FALAAH College is making waves in the education sector with its commitment to provide a holistic education infused with Islamic values. The school, which caters for Grades 00-12, aims to nurture and develop the capacity for independent and critical thinking, provide learning experiences that advance the holistic development of the learner, cultivate leadership skills and a passion to serve humanity, and promote technologically-advanced and innovative teaching methodologies.

At Al-Falaah College, our vision is to inspire excellence in all our endeavours. We aim to nurture leaders whose actions are guided by the Qur’an and Sunnah, and to provide a learning environment where students can develop holistically, especially academically and spiritually.

This approach to education has clearly paid off, as the school’s recent Matric results demonstrate. Al- Falaah College produced the Joint Top Matric learner in South Africa, Husnaa Haffejee. This accolade comes just seven years after Al-Falaah was ranked the Best Performing School in South Africa. The school also maintained its enviable record of a 100% pass rate since inception, with a 100% Bachelor pass rate and 3.36 Distinctions per learner. This performance secured Al-Falaah College a place among the Top 5 performing schools in South Africa for 2022.

Through our holistic education programme, supported by a team of passionate, qualified and experienced educators, Al-Falaah College presents our learners with an opportunity to excel in all aspects of their development. The school’s commitment to promoting independent and critical thinking, as well as its focus on Islamic values, has had a profound impact, and will (God Willing) continue to shape our future leaders.

In conclusion, Al-Falaah College is an example of what is possible when education is approached with a commitment to excellence, a focus on holistic development, and a deep appreciation for the importance of Islamic values. The school’s recent Matric results are a testament to the impact that this approach can have, and we can expect to see many greater things from Al-Falaah College in the years to come.

Durbann Christian Centre School is a safe, faith-based environment of academic excellence.

For over 23 years, we have produced intelligent and wellrounded learners who make an impact in society. With fully air-conditioned classrooms, jungle gyms, AstroTurf, new LeD Smartboards and qualified teachers, your child gets the best learning experience.

From two years old, your child is welcomed, nurtured, and motivated as they progress onto the foundation phase and senior phases. A diverse range of sports such as netball, soccer, cricket, swimming, athletics, table tennis, golf and Active Kids ensure that youngsters develop physical skills beyond the academic sphere.

This year, we will host an art exhibition and our very own production, Dream Quest, in which our learners showcase their drama skills. We offer a holistic learning experience through extra-curricular activities including chess, dance, art, pottery and more. Our aftercare programme ensures you can rest easy knowing your child is well taken care of throughout the day.

Our online high school is the perfect environment to equip learners for the working world as they become digitally inclined and independent. They are assisted by our committed teachers – in all subject areas –who have nurtured and produced students placing in the Top 5 in South Africa in the IeB examinations.

Our Alumni have gone on to excel at high school level and beyond, many with distinctions, and some pursuing studies in medicine and actuarial science. Joining the DCC School family is an investment in your child’s future.

Go on a tour of School on our Open Day – Wednesday, 22 February at 3pm – and enrol your child and be a part of raising a Godly Generation.

THIS year, epworth School, which was founded in 1898, has much to celebrate. We have a proud, 125-year history behind us and a progressive future ahead of us. Our school and its activities are firmly guided by our motto of Fida (Faith) Humana (Compassion) Fortis (Courage) and our moral compass is set by the spiritual qualities embedded in our Christian faith.

Authenticity is central to all our pursuits, and we strive to promote an ethos of “true to who we are”. We encourage a journey of discovery centred on personal excellence, whether it be in the classroom, on the stage or out on the sports field. We believe strongly in co-education for younger pupils and passionately about the benefits, particularly to girls, of single-sex education in high school.

In our preparatory school, girls and boys from Grades rrr to 7 benefit from a nurturing atmosphere that encourages learning through positive affirmation. We focus on creating an environment that allows children to be children, whilst developing and celebrating their individual talents.

Day scholars and boarders are part of our high school community that provides an inclusive environment that equips young women to lead lives of significance. A balance of tradition with contemporary layers ensure that our pupils are challenged and nurtured to develop a love of growth and learning. Our pupils are confident, ethical leaders with a strong sense of belonging.

HIGHBURY has a wonderful tradition of holistic boys’ preparatory education – our school has a long history that has stood the test of time since 1903. Our staff work ardently to create the widest variety of learning experiences that develop our boys into balanced and wholesome young men who have strong morals and are able to face challenges with creativity, integrity and tenacity.

Being an Independent school, we have the freedom to create a curriculum that is flexible and tailor made to appeal to the adventurous and curious nature of our boys. Highbury values a holistic approach to education and this means a healthy balance of classroom academics, cultural activities and sport. Our cultural activities include art and design lessons, drama and class music, along with opportunities for individual music lessons in a variety of instruments: djembe drumming, marimba groups and our school orchestra.

Highbury boys love to sing and the surrounding streets reverberate at 07h30 every day with the beautiful melody of our boys singing during the daily morning Chapel service. Again, our independence enables us to embrace the Christian faith which we hold as a central thread throughout all we do. entwined with our academics, cultural activities, and Christian ethos, is a passion for sport.

Highbury offers a full sporting programme where we compete against the strongest local schools and in the top national sports festivals. Our boys develop strong, respectful relationships with their teachers and peers; they learn to be tolerant, inclusive, and to walk a life of integrity. At Highbury, we grow boys who extend deep roots in sound values and show the fruit in their actions. I firmly believe that Highbury will give your son the advantage of growing into a young gentleman with manners, able to show grit in the face of adversity and the gentleness to express compassion for those in need.

One of the main purposes of education is to prepare the current generation of learners to confront societal challenges and to make the world a better place for themselves and the community in which they live.

With many independent schools, including Orient Islamic School, basking in the glory of excellent matriculation results, the question that needs to be asked is whether the more than 700 000 matriculants who are the next generation of leaders have been grounded in the skills and competencies to make a real difference to solving the problems facing our country?

As has been stated repeatedly, the class of 2022 has had to endure a torrid three years with the fallout from the effects of COVID-19, the lockdown, the severe impact on the economy and huge toll in lives, and the natural disasters that struck KwaZulunatal and other provinces. In addition, these impressionable young minds had to make sense of the looting and wanton acts of destruction that they witnessed either live or on television.

While the quality of their academic performance may not have been compromised as is evident in their matriculation results, the residual psychological and emotional effects of the trauma experienced by these children may only manifest in later years. Hence, the need for schools to re-evaluate their curriculum to ensure that our future leaders have the skills necessary to cope with life’s challenges and also to find creative and practical solutions to our country’s problems.

While there is an increasing and muchneeded focus on the STeM subjects and technology in our curriculum, there should also be greater attention paid to the soft skills relating to interpersonal relations, respect for property and people, and a real move towards inclusivity and transformation.

Let us hope that a realignment of our approach to education will assist in ensuring that the South African Generation Alpha and succeeding generations will at least find a solution to our load shedding and corruption woes!