Pretoria High School for Girls

Last updated
Pretoria High School for Girls
Pretoria High School for Girls Park Street Pretoria 001.jpg
Pretoria High School for Girls, Park Street Pretoria entrance
Address
Pretoria High School for Girls
949 Park Street, Arcadia

Pretoria
,
Gauteng

South Africa
Coordinates 25°45′03″S28°13′35″E / 25.7508°S 28.2265°E / -25.7508; 28.2265
Information
School type All girls public school
MottoProsit Spes Labori
(We Work in Hope)
Established10 October 1902;121 years ago (1902-10-10)
Founder Edith Aitken
Sister school Pretoria Boys High School
School districtDistrict 9
School number+27 (012) 430 7341
HeadmistressPhilipa Erasmus
Staff100 full-time
Grades8–12
GenderFemale
Age14to 18
Number of students1,300 girls
Language English
Schedule07:30 - 14:00
CampusUrban Campus
Campus typeSuburban
HousesBoarding houses: North Lodge
School house
Daygirl houses:
  Aitken
  Athlone
  Buxton
  Clarendon
  Connaught
  Duncan
  Gladstone
  McWilliam
  Selborne
  Van Zyl
Colour(s)  Blue
  Green
SportsHockey
Netball
Waterpolo
Tennis
Equestrian
Athletes
Basketball
Squash
Diving
Soccer
Nickname Girls High
Rivals
Accreditation Gauteng Department of Education
YearbookThe Pretorian
Feeder schools
  • Arcadia Primary School
  • Brooklyn Primary School
  • Glenstantia Primary School
  • Hamilton Primary School
  • La Montagne Primary School
  • Lynnwood Ridge Primary School
  • Rietondale Primary School
  • St Paulus Primary School
  • Waterkloof Primary School
AlumniOld Girls Association
Website phsg.org.za

Pretoria High School for Girls (Simply often known as PHSG), is a full-government, fee-charging, English-medium high school for girls located in Hatfield, Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is the sister school to Pretoria Boys High School. [1]

Contents

The high school was founded in 1902 by Edith Aitken.

History

Second Anglo-Boer War

In the 1880s the South African Republic Government built a Staatsmodelschool on the corner of Skinner and van der Walt Streets and a Staatsmeisjesschool (State Girls' School) on Visagie Street. By January 1900, with the war in full swing, the Staatsmeisjesschool had been commissioned as a hospital, while the Staatsmodelschool had been turned into a prison. Sir Winston Churchill was captured by the Boers and imprisoned in the school building, but managed to make his famous escape from there and took the railroad into Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique).

Lord Milner and the "Milner Schools"

With Pretoria under British control, it became apparent to Lord Milner, the Colonial Secretary at the time, that the educational facilities in the city needed attention as there was no secondary school for English-speaking pupils (and it was Milner's intention to anglicise what would become the Transvaal). The Staatsmodelschool was duly refurbished. It was renamed Pretoria High School and became the first of the so-called "Milner" schools in the Transvaal, opening on 3 June 1901 with Charles Hope, who also founded Potchefstroom High School for Boys, as headmaster. Initial enrollment was 32 pupils, both boys and girls, which increased to 132 by August of that year. The school was to later become Pretoria Boys High School when the girls left.

Formation of Pretoria High School for Girls

Mr Hope left 15 months later, along with the girls, who were finally accommodated into the old building of the Staatsmeisjesschool. By October 10, 1902, the school opened as Pretoria High School for Girls. It consisted of four teachers and 126 girls under Edith Aitken, but contrary to the name, taught both primary and secondary school pupils until these two groups were separated in 1905. Girls High moved out to its current Hatfield location on 28 July 1915. The primary school continued to occupy the Staatsmeisjesskool premises and is today known as Hamilton School. [2]

World War II

During the 2nd World War, the school served the community by supplying items to the needy. This tradition has continued into the present day, with each pupil and staff member annually knitting a jersey, which is given to needy members of the community. [3]

Apartheid era

Pretoria High School for Girls was designated as a "white" school during the apartheid era in South Africa. The school was subject to the government's separate development policies resulting in schools segregated according to government determined racial categories. As a progressive school, Girl's High was one of the first white schools to embrace the "New South Africa". Even before President De Klerk's call for a new South Africa, Clem Sunter had addressed the "high road, low road" vision to integrate. [4] PHSG was the first school under the Transvaal Education Department to open its facilities to pupils from the townships. [4] Teachers here taught Saturday morning classes to 50 standard 9 pupils as part of St Mary's DSG Outreach Program. [4]

It was one of the first public schools to integrate during the transition period in South Africa from a political system of apartheid to a multiparty, multi-racial democracy. The school hoped to finally, legally realise its multi-racial dimension in its charter (" earnest hope that here girls of different races and different denominations might meet") as apartheid began to be dismantled. The first black pupil was admitted to Girls High in 1990 and was the daughter of a Malawian diplomat, SP Kachipande. [5] After that, a student vote where 80% of the students voted for PHSG to transition to an "open school" to enable it to admit South Africans from all races. [4] The year after, a few more students from the Malawian embassy enrolled in the school and thereafter South Africans from other races. PHSG became the first white state school in Northern Transvaal (now Gauteng) to open its doors to girls of all races. [6] During this time, the school was under the leadership of Ms. Ann Van Zyl, who later became headmistress of the prestigious St Stithians Girls College in Johannesburg and Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. [6] By 1994, the school opened its doors to black South African students and became fully integrated. Apartheid was fully dismantled as the legal system in 1994.

Headmistresses

Present day

Reputation

Girls High is a state school that is supported by influential people and organizations. It includes the children of Minister of finance Pravin Gordhan's and Minister of health Aaron Motsoaledi's daughters. [8] The school has also had patronage from the diplomatic community, including diplomats from Chile, Malawi, Uruguay, and other countries. It was voted by the Pretoria News as the best high school in Pretoria. [9]

Academics

PHSG is one of the top schools in Gauteng in academic achievement. [10] They are listed in the department of education's top 100 list. [11] PHSG has a rigorous academic curriculum,from 2004–2009, they have had a 100% Matriculation pass rate. [12] PHSG also won the Most Improved Schools Awards of 2007 together with 10 other schools around the country. [11] They won a prize for Excellence in Mathematics because 138 students attained a higher grade maths pass mark. [11] It is in the top 5 public schools in the province. [13]

In 2009, the school had a 99.9 percent Matric pass rate. [12] The school has also been recognized as a circle of Excellence School by the Allan Gray Investment Management. [14]

Motto

The motto of the School is We work in hope, and has a Latin equivalent, Prosit Spes Labori. [15]

Coat of arms

In 1936, the school's coat of arms was registered with the Department of the Interior as a "badge" under the Protection of Names, Uniforms and Badges Act 1935. In 1990, after slight improvement, it was registered at the Bureau of Heraldry under the Heraldry Act 1962. The registration certificate was presented to the school by Frederick Brownell, the State Herald at that time. The school magazine of that year includes an explanation of the coat of arms. Heraldic practice in English tradition is to depict the arms of unmarried ladies or widows on a lozenge, a diamond shaped shield. The lozenge makes a bold heraldic statement about feminism. [16] By 1990 only three schools, Girton College in Cambridge, St Patricks Girls High School, Canada and PHSG were known to display their arms on lozenges. [16] Nowadays, however, to judge from its website, Girton College displays its arms on a shield.

Hostels

Controversy

In August 2016 the school was accused of racial discrimination policies where black students were treated differently from white students. These were policies ranging from black girls being forced to straighten their hair, rules that disallowed afros to being accused of conspiring when standing in groups and speaking in their mother tongue. The black students protested at the school's annual Spring Fair, despite the presence of heavy security. [18] Supporters were urged to use the hashtag #StopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh. [19] This led to a huge outcry on social media and solidarity from the South African public. [20] South African Arts and Culture Minister Nathi Mthethwa wrote on Twitter: "Let us continue to assert our Africanness in all spaces so that we can breathe & be truly, fully ourselves." Patrick Gaspard, US ambassador to South Africa, also tweeted: "All societies have rules. And sometimes those rules are biased and need to be exposed and protested." An online petition [21] [18] had almost 25,000 signatures within a day. Gauteng Education MEC, Panyaza Lesufi, met with the school management to address the issues. [20] The controversy has been covered internationally by Al Jazeera [18] and the BBC. [22]

Alumnae ("Old Girls")

Girls High alumnae are known as "Old Girls" and there are Old Girls who are chapters in South Africa, Australia, England and USA.

Notable alumnae

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretoria</span> Executive Capital of South Africa

Pretoria is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transvaal (province)</span> Former province of South Africa

The Province of the Transvaal, commonly referred to as the Transvaal, was a province of South Africa from 1910 until 1994, when a new constitution subdivided it following the end of apartheid. The name "Transvaal" refers to the province's geographical location to the north of the Vaal River. Its capital was Pretoria, which was also the country's executive capital.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauteng</span> Province in South Africa

Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Witwatersrand</span> Public university in Johannesburg, South Africa

The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, commonly known as Wits University or Wits, is a multi-campus public research university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg, South Africa. The university has its roots in the mining industry, as do Johannesburg and the Witwatersrand in general. Founded in 1896 as the South African School of Mines in Kimberley, it is the third oldest South African university in continuous operation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germiston</span> Place in Gauteng, South Africa

Germiston, also known as kwaDukathole, is a city in the East Rand region of Gauteng, South Africa, administratively forming part of the City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality since the latter's establishment in 2000. It functions as the municipal seat of Ekurhuleni, hosting the municipal council and administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeppe High School for Boys</span> All-boys public school in Kensington, Gauteng, South Africa

Jeppe High School for Boys is a public English medium high school for boys in Kensington, a suburb of Johannesburg in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the 23 Milner Schools, and its sister school is Jeppe High School for Girls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pretoria Boys High School</span> All-boys public school in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa

Pretoria Boys High School is a public, tuition-charging, English-medium high school for boys situated in the suburb of Brooklyn in Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa, founded in 1901 by Alfred Milner, 1st Viscount Milner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of the Free State</span> Multi-campus public university in South Africa

The University of the Free State is a multi-campus public university in Bloemfontein, the capital of the Free State and the judicial capital of South Africa. It was first established as an institution of higher learning in 1904 as a tertiary section of Grey College. It was declared an independent Afrikaans-language university in 1950 and the name was changed to the University of the Orange Free State. The university has two satellite campuses. Initially a whites-only precinct, the university was fully de-segregated in 1996. The first black university vice-chancellor was appointed in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hoërskool Waterkloof</span> Public & boarding school in Erasmuskloof, Pretoria, South Africa

Hoërskool Waterkloof is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the most expensive Afrikaans medium schools, the fee per child amounting to R 32,400 per annum. It has received the award for academic school of the year from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2018, it received the award for best academic school in Gauteng province, the ninth time since 2009. It claims a 100% matric pass rate for 30 consecutive years.

Quartus de Wet was a South African judge who served as Judge President of the Transvaal Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa.

St Dominic's Catholic School for Girls is a South African, private Roman Catholic day school located in Boksburg (Ekurhuleni), Gauteng.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Internal resistance to apartheid</span> 1950–1994 social movement in South Africa

Internal resistance to apartheid in South Africa originated from several independent sectors of South African society and took forms ranging from social movements and passive resistance to guerrilla warfare. Mass action against the ruling National Party (NP) government, coupled with South Africa's growing international isolation and economic sanctions, were instrumental in leading to negotiations to end apartheid, which began formally in 1990 and ended with South Africa's first multiracial elections under a universal franchise in 1994.

The University of Pretoria Faculty of Law was established in 1908. It consists of six academic departments, six centres, two law clinics, and the Pretoria University Law Press (PULP). This faculty ranked best in Africa for the fourth year in a row with leading Departments of Jurisprudence; Mercantile Law; Private Law; Procedural Law; Public Law; and Centre for Human Rights. The faculty offers the undergraduate LLB degree, and postgraduate LLM/MPhil and LLD/PhD degrees. 

Johann van der Westhuizen (born 26 May 1952 in Windhoek, South West Africa is a former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa. Before his judicial appointment, he was a professor at the University of Pretoria Faculty of Law and the founding director of its Centre for Human Rights.

Racism in South Africa can be traced back to the earliest historical accounts of interactions between African, Asian, and European peoples along the coast of Southern Africa. It has existed throughout several centuries of the history of South Africa, dating back to the Dutch colonization of Southern Africa, which started in 1652. Before universal suffrage was achieved in 1994, White South Africans, especially Afrikaners during the period of Apartheid, enjoyed various legally or socially sanctioned privileges and rights that were denied to the indigenous African peoples. Examples of systematic racism over the course of South Africa's history include forced removals, racial inequality and segregation, uneven resource distribution, and disenfranchisement. Racial controversies and politics remain major phenomena in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Percy Kachipande</span> Malawian politician, diplomat (born 1944)

Safiel Percy Kachipande is a Malawian politician and former diplomat.

Anne van Zyl is a South African education administrator from Cape Town, South Africa. She is the headmistress of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. She has also been headmistress at five different schools including Pretoria High School for Girls, St. Stithians College, Stanford Lake College and Bridge House School. She is known in academic circles for her work in education, including the integration of Pretoria High School for Girls which became the first segregated white state school in the Northern Transvaal to open its doors to all races during apartheid when integrated state schools were still illegal.

AfriForum is a South African non-governmental organisation focused mainly on the interests of Afrikaners, a subgroup of the country's white population. AfriForum has been described as a white nationalist, alt-right, and Afrikaner nationalist group, though this description is rejected by the organisation's leadership, who refer to themselves as a civil rights group.

The following is a timeline of the history of Pretoria, in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, Gauteng province, South Africa.

Zulaikha Patel is a South African anti-racism activist. She became a symbol of the fight against Pretoria Girls High School's policy regarding black girls' hair in 2016, at the age of 13. She and her classmates held a demonstration that led to not only a change in school policy, but also an inquiry into allegations of racism at the school. She is quoted as saying: “Asking me to change my hair is like asking me to erase my blackness.”

References

  1. ↑ "Briefhistory". boyshigh.com.
  2. ↑ "Index of /". Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  3. ↑ "Pretoria High School for Girls". phsg.org.za. Archived from the original on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Pretoria High School for Girls Yearbook 1990, No 96 PHSG p 3
  5. ↑ Pretoria High School for Girls Yearbook 1990, No 96 PHSG
  6. 1 2 "Oprah academy's new head - EducationWeb". educationweb.co.za.
  7. ↑ HighBeam [ dead link ]
  8. ↑ "Ministers show faith in public schools - Times LIVE". Archived from the original on 2010-11-24. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  9. ↑ "Pretoria High School for Girls". phsg.org.za. Archived from the original on 2014-06-07. Retrieved 2013-03-02.
  10. ↑ "joburgnews.co.za". Archived from the original on 2011-10-04.
  11. 1 2 3 "The Home Of Great South African News - SA Good News". sagoodnews.co.za. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
  12. 1 2 "South Africa: Jubilation, Tears At Pretoria High School for Girls". BuaNews. 1 January 2020 – via allafrica.com.
  13. ↑ Independent Newspapers Online. "Pretoria's matrics shine brightly". Independent Online.
  14. ↑ "Circle of Excellence Schools | Allan Gray Orbis Foundation". Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2010-12-13.
  15. ↑ "Pretoria High School For Girls". Schoolguide.
  16. 1 2 Pretoria High School for Girls Yearbook 1990, No 96 PHSG p 2
  17. 1 2 "ABLEWIKI:802 Pretorius Street, Arcadia, Pretoria". up.ac.za. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
  18. 1 2 3 Safdar, Anealla (August 30, 2016). "S Africa: Black students protest 'racist' hair rules". Al Jazeera . Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  19. ↑ "#stopRacismAtPretoriaGirlsHigh hashtag on Twitter" . Retrieved 3 September 2016– via Twitter.com.
  20. 1 2 Neo Koza (August 29, 2016). "Why SA is behind the Pretoria High School for Girls protest". Eyewitness News . Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  21. ↑ "Stop Racism at Pretoria Girls High". amandla.mobi. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  22. ↑ "Pretoria Girls High racism protest backed by SA minister". BBC News. August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
  23. ↑ "Past Exhibit - MYFANWY BEKKER". South African Contemporary and Fine Art Gallery. Archived from the original on 2011-08-16.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.