Sandringham High School, Johannesburg
Encyclopedia
Sandringham High School is a South Africa
n high school in Sandringham, a north-eastern suburb of Johannesburg
. The school opened in 1967 and teaches grades 8 to 12.
Sandringham opened as a White co-educational English-speaking school teaching under the Transvaal
Education Department (TED) of the South African government, meaning that the language of instruction was English and only Whites (as classified under Apartheid-era legislation) attended the school before 1991.
Although Sandringham is not a boarding school, pupils are allocated to one of four "Houses", and made to compete against each other in a number of activities.
Sports participation was strongly encouraged and the emphasis on sporting achievement was reflected in a large number of award ceremonies and prizes available to sporting participants.
Corporal punishment was however only inflicted upon male students, officially with a cane
specially designed for the purpose, but sometimes unofficially with a cricket bat
, hockey stick
, blackboard compass
, beach bat, or other suitable implement as may be available, or may suit the style and preference of the teacher.
Offenses punished by official caning included talking in class, littering, hair longer than 5 cm in length, fighting, and failure to attend rugby practice. The punishment was administered to the seat of the offending boy's trousers.
Initiation was banned by the South African Schools Act in 1996.
Corporal punishment in schools was made illegal by legislation in 1997.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n high school in Sandringham, a north-eastern suburb of Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. The school opened in 1967 and teaches grades 8 to 12.
Sandringham opened as a White co-educational English-speaking school teaching under the Transvaal
Transvaal Province
Transvaal Province was a province of the Union of South Africa from 1910 to 1961, and of its successor, the Republic of South Africa, from 1961 until the end of apartheid in 1994 when a new constitution subdivided it.-History:...
Education Department (TED) of the South African government, meaning that the language of instruction was English and only Whites (as classified under Apartheid-era legislation) attended the school before 1991.
Education style
The school is situated in middle-to-upper-class Johannesburg suburbia, and during the Apartheid years it reflected a traditional British style of education, with school uniforms and corporal punishment. Although progressive compared to other similar schools in South Africa (teaching modern film, carpentry, and culinary skills in addition to basic academic subjects), it was conservative and disciplined by western standards, including such activities such as military cadets. Like similar schools, Sandringham had many extramural facilities, including tennis courts, a 25-meter swimming pool, rugby and cricket fields, computer training facilities, theatrical stage lighting in the main hall, modern audio-visual equipment, and a pupil-teacher ratio of about 30 to 1.Although Sandringham is not a boarding school, pupils are allocated to one of four "Houses", and made to compete against each other in a number of activities.
Sports participation was strongly encouraged and the emphasis on sporting achievement was reflected in a large number of award ceremonies and prizes available to sporting participants.
Corporal punishment
As in many South African schools, discipline was enforced by corporal punishment. South Africa had inherited this British-style system during the pre-1948 colonial era.Corporal punishment was however only inflicted upon male students, officially with a cane
Caning
Caning is a form of corporal punishment consisting of a number of hits with a single cane usually made of rattan, generally applied to the offender's bare or clothed buttocks or hand . Application of a cane to the knuckles or the shoulders has been much less common...
specially designed for the purpose, but sometimes unofficially with a cricket bat
Cricket bat
A cricket bat is a specialised piece of equipment used by batsmen in the sport of cricket to hit the ball. It is usually made of willow wood. Its use is first mentioned in 1624....
, hockey stick
Hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
, blackboard compass
Compass (drafting)
A compass or pair of compasses is a technical drawing instrument that can be used for inscribing circles or arcs. As dividers, they can also be used as a tool to measure distances, in particular on maps...
, beach bat, or other suitable implement as may be available, or may suit the style and preference of the teacher.
Offenses punished by official caning included talking in class, littering, hair longer than 5 cm in length, fighting, and failure to attend rugby practice. The punishment was administered to the seat of the offending boy's trousers.
Initiation ceremony
High school initiation was the time-honored tradition of physical and verbal abuse of the new pupils by the oldest pupils typical of the South African school system. Because of a public outcry and declining admissions, this practice was ended at Sandringham in 1988 (through the threat of corporal punishment).Initiation was banned by the South African Schools Act in 1996.
Post-apartheid
During the early 1990s, political reforms allowed small numbers of non-white students to attend school. Because admission criteria included geographical proximity, the number of black students was initially small, but increased with time.Corporal punishment in schools was made illegal by legislation in 1997.