Parktown Boys' High School is a publicEnglish medium high school for boys situated in Parktown, a suburb of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the oldest schools in Johannesburg.[1] Parktown Boys' sister school is Parktown High School for Girls.
The school was founded in 1920, and was originally known as North Western High School.[2] The original school was based in disused wood and iron buildings which had previously been police barracks at the top of Canary Street in Auckland Park. There were eighty-seven pupils in five Form II classes, four for boys and one for girls, with acting Headmaster, C. Hare. The site is now occupied by the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
The Acting Director of Education, W.E.C. Clarke, the Inspector of High Schools, officially opened the new school with an address to the scholars and staff. He apologised for the lack of decent furniture and playing fields and promised that a new modern high school for boys would be built on the Parktown Ridge overlooking Milner Park and a new high school for girls near Zoo Lake.
The first Headmaster, P.M. Druce, arrived at the beginning of 1921 and, in February, the name of the school was changed to North Western High School. In April the first hatbands and ties arrived. The colours were purple and white.
On 1 September 1921 the school was divided into five houses: Romans, Spartans, Thebans, Trojans and Tuscans. On 19 September the name was changed again, this time to Parktown Boys' High School with the motto Arise, and the school badge a rampant lion. When the Rand Revolt took place in 1922 the school, which was in no-man's-land, had to be evacuated for a short while.
At the beginning of 1923 the school boys moved to new buildings on Parktown Ridge.[2] They took little with them except the school name, motto and badge, the names of the five houses and the traditions they had built up. When the school reopened in the new premises, there were 435 boys on the roll and the school colours were changed to red and black. The girls remained at Auckland Park.
The Old Parktonian Association, which was formed in 1925, bought the grounds in Bedfordview but later moved to Craighall Park. Strong links with the school are maintained.
When Mr Druce retired in 1938 he was succeeded in turn by B.A. Logie, C.A. Yates, F.J. Marais, J.A. Cameron, N.A.M. Scheepers and T.P. Clarke, Parktown's previous Headmaster for a record 23 years, as well as Mr C. Niemand, and Mr D. Bradley.
In 1985 Druce Hall was opened to accommodate boarders and following the school's tradition in the classics, in 1987, the name Vulcan was given to the sixth school house to which all boarders belong.
Parktown Boys' High School was the first government school to allow boys who were discriminated against because of their colour into a mainstream 'white' school in 1991.
Parktown Boys' High School was the first school in South Africa to install an international standard water-based Astroturf playing surface. This surface has hosted many national and international games.[3] More recently, Parktown has built Surgite House overlooking the McCorkell Oval (named after Neil McCorkell the school's former cricket coach and former Hampshire county cricketer who became a centurion in March 2012) to incorporate the administration and entertainment needs of Old Parktonians, as well as the Sydney Klevansky Sports and Cultural Centre.[4]
Parktown Boys' is consistently rated as among the best performing schools in South Africa, as well as in Africa.[5][6]
Parktown Boys' has a history which includes the use of boaters (called 'bashers'), a distinctive red and black uniform, school songs, and particularly 'Parktonian' language which has evolved over the years. The school motto is 'Arise' ('Surgite' in Latin).[7] The original school buildings have provincial heritage sites status.[3]
Mr Kevin Stippel is the current headmaster at Parktown Boys.[8] Previous headmasters were (from 1920): Mr C. Hare (Acting), Mr P.M.Druce, Mr B.A. Logie, Mr C.A. Yates, Mr F.J. Marais, Mr J.A. Cameron, Mr N.A.M. Scheeper, Mr T.P. Clarke, Mr C. Niemand, Mr R. Pillay (Acting), Mr D. Bradley and Mr Malcolm Williams.[9]
The school is divided from Grades 8 to 12 (Matric), and grades are referred to as 'Forms' at the school. Cultural activities refer to all extramural activities excluding sporting activities. Cultural life also extends to visits to musical performances.[10]
Numerous summer sports are offered by the school.[11]
Druce Hall
The School's Mascot – The Rampant Lion, with members of the Cadet Band performing the school War Cry.
The school has a weekly boarding establishment (i.e. from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon), which is known as the Druce Hall. It was officially opened on 9 June 1985 and is named after P. M. Druce, the first headmaster.
The boarding is supervised with a ratio of one master to every 15 boys.
Traditions
Orientation and initiation
As part of their orientation and initiation into the school, all 'formies' (Grade 8/Form I) receive a coloured button to wear on their blazer which indicates their 'formie' status as well as what house they belong to for the duration of their Form I year. At the end of their second week of school, all formies are assigned a Matric 'Old Pot' who will help and guide that formie through their first few months at the school. The Old Pot/New Pot braai is held in the first term.[citation needed]
Harmful 'initiation' is banned throughout the school. However, there have been numerous incidents at the school which have been widely publicized.[citation needed]
Cadets
Parktown Boys' High School is one of the few schools in South Africa that still continues with the tradition of Cadets and Cadet practice every week that involves many push ups and exercise for younger grades.[citation needed]
Memorial parade
Parktown conducts a Memorial Parade and Service on the Sunday nearest 11 November (Remembrance Day) every year for Old Parktonians and South Africans in general who have died in various conflicts around the world. It is compulsory for all Form Is and IVs to attend.
Third Cricket/Hockey v Teachers Matches
Every year a hockey and cricket matches are held between the staff and Third teams.
Old Parktonians
The Parktonian Foundation,[12] Surgite House, the Parktown Waterpolo Club,[13] a Facebook page,[14] the annual Surgite[15] publications and the Old Parktonian Sports Club,[16] all aim to foster the Old Parktonian Community.
Old Boys' Day
Every year in the first term Old Boys are invited to play against current school First Teams in a variety of sports. The day culminates in rugby and hockey games between the Old Boys and the recently announced First teams.[citation needed]
Notable alumni
This article's list of alumni may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article AND are alumni, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations.(April 2020)
Past matriculants of the school have gone on to be leaders in all fields of South African life, from leaders in commerce, Members of Parliament, renowned academics, Springboks rugby players, protea cricket players and other internationally renowned sportsmen, musicians and artists.
Jackie Mekler, long-distance runner. Three ultra marathon world records, five Comrades wins and ten Comrades gold medals amongst numerous other athletic feats
Jack Penn, M.B.E., Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons, author, and sculptor
Eric Sturgess, international tennis player who reached the finals of three Grand Slam singles tournaments and won six Grand Slam doubles tournaments[23][3]
The following Old Parktonians have represented the South African National Rugby Team (the Springboks) or have played for the rugby union without making a cap for them country yet.
Other associations with Parktown Boys’ and (relating to context of rugby),
Jake White: Coached the 2007 IRB World Cup winning Springboks and started his rugby coaching career at Parktown Boys' High School in 1982, as well as coaching the nearly unbeaten 1st XI team of the Red and Black(Parktown Boys’) somewhere in the 1980s.
Old Parktonians who have played for the national hockey side are:
Neville Berman, Matthew Brown, Dylan Coombes, Miguel Da Graca, Noel Day, Keith Jones, Lance Louw, Brian Morton, Andre du Preez, Justin Rosenburg, Ricky West,[31]
Music and Art
Some notable musicians and artists who attended Parktown Boys' High School are:
Trevor Rabin, guitarist, composer, vocalist and, more recently, noted film score composer.
Controversies
In September 2018, the former water polo coach at Parktown, Collan Rex, pleaded guilty to 144 charges of sexual assault against multiple Parktown pupils and was subsequently sentenced to 23 years in prison.[32][33]
On 15 January 2020, a 13-year-old pupil drowned while attending orientation camp at the Nyati Bush and River Break lodge, near Pretoria. The principal was dismissed in October 2020 following an investigation.[34][35] The principal was subsequently reinstated after being cleared of any wrongdoing with the latest investigations being focused on Nyathi Bush and River Break lodge.[36]
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↑ Parktown Old Boys Facebook Page Retrieved 22 April 2011
↑ Parktown Old Boys Facebook Page "Parktonian Foundation". Archived from the original on 2 October 2011. Retrieved 25 April 2011. Retrieved 22 April 2011
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