PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL – A SCHOOL YOU CAN BELIEVE IN

Pretoria Boys High School can trace its origins back to 1901 when it was established in the Staats Model School building in central Pretoria. It relocated to the present grounds eight years later. In 1910 it adopted its present name when the Pretoria College amalgamated with the Eendracht School. In the same year, the Union of South Africa came into being.

It is appropriate that Boys High was born in the same year as South Africa, because it has served the country well in the past century by providing a  high school education for thousands of the country’s young men, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in all manner of occupations and professions.  The school has always played a crucial role in providing leaders and its alumni include prominent figures in the business world, medicine, law, the military, education, sport and the arts.

Perhaps, at no other time in the history of South Africa, has there been a more urgent need for citizens who are products of good schools. In spite of a sometimes dispiriting prognosis, the potential for the country to become a world-class nation remains. What is needed are a few generations of educated, energetic and positive young people to turn the tide.

In this regard, Boys High is perfectly placed to serve the role of a flagship within a state education system that is struggling, despite record spending by government. The school has the capacity to produce, as it has done for over a century, the type of men who will make this country work.

The school prides itself on having a holistic educational philosophy. It is our belief that all pupils should have the opportunity to gain a balanced education that is based on academic, cultural and sporting dimensions. All boys are encouraged to participate in as wide a variety of activities as possible. The school works hard to maintain this balance by way of how it allocates time, money and activities. Many schools pursue achievements in one of these fields at the expense of others, something which PBHS has resolutely shied away from despite pressure to follow suit. The school is famous for inculcating a belief in traditional values of good manners, integrity, hard work, service to the community and loyalty. These have become the hallmarks of the alumni of Boys High. It is the belief of this school that a well-rounded young man is the highest ideal of a Boys High education.

Boys High is in the fortunate position of always being fully staffed. Its wide and specialised subject choice competes with any school in the country and its academic performance places it in the top-ranking schools nationally. In most years the school achieves a 100% matric pass rate and around 90% of the candidates are eligible to apply to university. The school has a fine reputation for producing pupils who do well at tertiary institutions.

Despite not offering sporting scholarships, the school is competitive in all the sporting codes on offer. Teams regularly feature in the Top Ten nationally for particular sports and each year sees a significant number of individual sportsmen selected to represent their province, or even play at a national level. The school also offers an extensive cultural programme, with arguably the finest music department in the country. 

The success achieved by pupils both at school and in later life, can be largely attributed to a well-run school that attracts dedicated staff who are committed to maintaining the high standards. The school has been blessed with good leadership and governance, ensuring that it is not only well managed, but that it continues to serve the best interests of the community.

A SUSTAINABLE PLAN

In order to run a school of this size and complexity and to maintain the standards that we do, the annual tution fees are now in the region of R60 000 per annum. Among comparable state schools, PBHS has a fee structure that places it in the middle order in terms of cost to parents. Relative to independent schools, a Boys High education is between a third and a half of the cost. When judged by what is on offer at PBHS, there is no doubt that few schools can compare on a Rand-for-Rand basis and that the school continues to offer excellent value for money.

Although PBHS is officially a state school, it receives less than one fifth of its current funding from the Education Department. The state’s contribution, in effect, subsidizes the staffing of  about half of the academic staff of Boys High and very little else. Given the obvious priorities presented by previously disadvantaged schools in South Africa, this situation is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.  

Making it possible for worthy candidates, to have the benefit of a Boys High education when their families are not in a position to pay high fees, is viewed as an important budget consideration. Under current legislation, the school is legally obliged to provide financial assistance to pupils eligible for admission where there is proven financial need. These circumstances place an additional burden on the school’s accounts and means that each year additional funding has to be found to cover this item.

In order to continue to serve its core function optimally, Pretoria Boys High will need to have a sustainable plan going forward. Ensuring sustainability of the school’s current standards, without barring access to pupils who need financial support, will play a undeniable role in the school’s future. Short of making the school prohibitively expensive and therefore elitist, the only alternative is to seek outside funding.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

PBHS would like to embark on a major campaign to source financial assistance for worthy candidates who cannot afford the school fees. This appeal for financial assistance and contributions from the alumni of PBHS and corporate donors is very necessary if the school is to offer quality education to deserving young boys who cannot afford the fees and to maintain its status as a leading educational institution.

The boys identified for financial assistance would have to be deserving candidates who will benefit from the holistic education PBHS has to offer. There are many young boys in the city of Pretoria who would benefit from the realisation of a life-changing, world class education, but who are unable to attend the school for various reasons.  It is this school’s belief that it is these boys who are the future leaders of our country. Offering them the opportunity of a quality education, which they othewise may not be afforded, is key to these individuals reaching their full potential and perhaps even more importantly to this country’s future success.

Pretoria Boys High School would like to reach a point where it is in a position to offer 10% of the boys of this school (approximately 150 pupils) the opportunity of financial assistance. If the school is able to reach this goal, it will equate to a financial contribution of  approximately R9 000 000 per annum considering the school’s current school fee structure. Over and above the tuition fees, a school allowance will also be made towards the identified individuals and where necessary an independent transport scheme transporting pupils to-and-from school put in place. Furthermore, not only will the school look to assist the identified boys with tuition fees but consideration will also be given towards boarding fees where the need arises. Over and above the already mentioned financial assistance, a full pastoral care system will be in place for all sponsored boys so as to ensure the personal wellbeing of all the boys included in the programme. The pastoral care programme will look after the academic and personal needs of the boys within the extensive support structure offered by the school.