Upper Shirley High School - ILLP Visit to Schools in Durban, October 2009

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ILLP Visit to Schools in Durban, October 2009

ILLP Visit to Schools in Durban, South Africa, 10^th-18^th October

Ms Ellins and I travelled to Durban with a group of school leaders from the South of England to investigate new models of leadership and governance in a variety of schools. The first school we visited was Glenwood High School, a prestigious boys’ state school founded in 1910, where students displayed a fierce loyalty to the school and its traditions. It had excellent facilities including a new science block which even had its own reptile house. For many students English was their second language with Zulu or Afrikaans being their mother tongue. There was lots of emphasis on outward-bound type personal development and the sporting academy began training at 5am each morning. Not surprisingly, the boys excelled at sport!

The second school I visited, Margot Fonteyn High School, was in a rural area and had much poorer facilities with many learners in classes of 60+. Challenges facing the school included lack of resources, learners from poor backgrounds ravaged by AIDS and inadequately trained teachers. Ms Ellins visited Savannah Park - a combined school for 5 to 17 year olds in a semi rural location which catered for Zulu and Indian children. As a school of 1100 children they only had one computer room and no internet access. They had no fields as the surrounding area was too dangerous for the students and the school had suffered 2 armed robberies in the last 2 years!

On the Friday a retired school principal gave a seminar on school leadership and answered questions from the group about prospects for the future; the challenges for all in South Africa are enormous. During the visit, time was also spent at the Tala Game Reserve and the Phe Zulu Safari Park. It was an absolutely fascinating stay with many lessons learned.

Miss Peak