Garlandale alumni on a mission to uplift school
Garlandale High bursary recipients, back from left, are Chace Weir, Kyle Pretorius, Keisha Pretorius, Ziyanda Mxali and Masood Louw. Front: Exoce Ndombasi, Inathi Madiga and Imange Genuka. With them are retired principal Dawn Crowie, back right, and Heather Sonn, front right, the chairperson of the school’s alumni association.
A Garlandale High School alumni group, which was started three years ago following a school reunion, runs a bursary fund for pupils.
Eight pupils were awarded bursaries to cover their school fees this year thanks to fund-raisers organised by Garlandale Alumni Association.
The group’s chairperson, Heather Sonn, said it started in 2021 following the reunion of the school’s class of 1989.
“We wanted to make something last beyond the reunion. We got more people involved, our old friends and classmates - people with strong ties who would work together with very little resources and starting from scratch,” she said.
“Some of the group has family living in the area and had first-hand reports of the school seeming to fall into disrepair. We were concerned about what it must feel like for learners who want to dream about a future of great possibility if they were learning in an environment that indicates limitations and scarcity.”
Ms Sonn questioned the fairness of the Athlone school’s quintile ranking, saying it was in line with more affluent schools in neighbouring areas such as Rondebosch.
All South African public schools are categorised into five groups called quintiles, and if a school is in quintile 5, it receives the least financial support from the government. The quintile ranking is determined by the poverty level of the community around the school as well as the school’s infrastructure.
However, Ms Sonn said the largest proportion of the school's pupils now came from outside the area and were of lower means.
“They also have to spend on travel costs... The learners often face significant challenges to safety and care that further hinder their ability to learn and apply themselves effectively to their futures.
“Budget constraints have also led to the child-teacher ratio to be astoundingly low.”
The alumni group, she said, wanted to “inspire hope, create visibility of the school, and generate a sense of care amongst the alumni body, the school and, most importantly, that the learners should know that people care, that they are worth it, that their dreams and striving matter”.
On Women’s Day, Friday August 9, the association will hold a high-tea fund-raiser in the school hall, from 1.30pm to 4pm, with entertainment by singer and songwriter Chad Saaiman, a past pupil, and others. Tickets, at R200 each, are available on Quicket. Email ghssa.alumni@gmail.com for more information.