JONATHAN JANSEN: Let me tell you about a school where hope rules
'How does one school working with mostly poor children deliver one of the most powerful models of education I have seen anywhere in the world?'
The last time I saw such energy in a room was in a hellfire-and-brimstone Pentecostal church service. One pupil after another came to the front of the packed room to tell the audience how learning in the maritime industry had transformed their lives. You felt the goosebumps spread across your skin. "I do not have blood in my veins," shouted one of the high school girls, "I have sea water!" Around me, I see tears forming in the eyes of the visitors to the awards evening.These were high school kids from poor townships and villages stretching from the rural Eastern Cape to the shacks of Cape Town. But you would not know about their dire upbringing from the ways in which Lawhill Maritime Academy in Simon's Town had completely altered their lives. The service was now in full swing and those present seemed one step away from speaking in tongues. When the shipping line Safmarine and Simon's Town School started this partnership in 1985, even they could not have imagined the many positive im...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
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.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.