Bonteheuwel High School turns 60

Bonteheuwel High School celebrated its 60th birthday last week with a church service and a gathering of past and present pupils, teachers and parents.

The school opened in 1964 with three Grade 8 classes, 93 pupils and four teachers, according to the current principal, Nicola Pather. Today the school has more than 1000 pupils and offers a range of extra-murals and support classes.

Describing Bonteheuwel High as a “community school”, she said it had played a significant role in the fight against apartheid, and for the past decade, it had achieved top results despite the gang violence and other hardships that plagued the community.

“Pupils have changed over the years. Before, the social ills of this area didn’t really affect them, but now they do. The shooting in Bonteheuwel does affect our school.”

The school needed more classrooms as it hoped to include hairdressing and consumer studies next year, she said, adding that it was important to show pupils that careers could be built on both academics and skills.

“We want them to see that they can use their skills to sustain themselves and their families one day. We have to show them that entrepreneurship is important and valuable, and you can attain success by using your skills.”

Ms Pather said she was proud of the school’s partnership with the Beitul-Maal Foundation, which sees it distribute food parcels to the needy once a month, and she added that the Amy Foundation, a non-profit organisation, runs an after-school programme for pupils.

Delia Zeederberg, of Claremont, who attended Bonteheuwel High in the 1970s, started the Sista Hood project at the school four years ago to help girls with a range of issues, including relationships, matric studies and job readiness.

“Bonteheuwel for me is home. It was important for me to give back to Bonteheuwel,” she said, adding that it was important for young people to know that hard work paid off.

“People told me it was a bad time to start during Covid, but nothing is impossible. I made a commitment to the girls, and I promised each girl that on their birthday, I would deliver a cake and gift, and we did that for close to 100 girls.”

Desmond Jackson, from Brackenfell, who attended Bonteheuwel High in the 1960s, said the school had always had good discipline and strict teachers, but the classes had been smaller in his day.

“I always tell my children that I was educated at a township school and I managed to get my degree. Our teachers played a huge role in our success. We were very proud of our school uniform and so it makes us feel so good that the school is 60,” he said.