A POSSIBLY unintended consequence of company ownership and corporate influence on the independent education sector is compliance with sustainability doctrines and triple bottom line requirements, such as environmentally appropriate conduct and leadership.Cape Town-based architect and engineer Vernon Collis of Collis & Associates says South Africa’s independent schools are a good example of what schools can offer and that "there is no reason why government schools cannot offer inspiring, engaging environments".Johannesburg’s St Stithian’s College, for instance, describes itself as a "green school", which is "committed to promoting environmental sustainability in our own practices and curriculum".Mr Collis says following independent schools’ example, the Sustainable Schools Initiative — the greening of public schools, green building and green technology — can substantially reduce the operational costs of poorly resourced schools."This has many benefits as it frees up money for more ed...

Subscribe now to unlock this article.

Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).

There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.

Cancel anytime.

Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.

Speech Bubbles

Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.