Durban High School

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Durban High School (D.H.S.)
Durban High School Crest
Deo Fretus (In God We Trust)
Location
Durban, Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa
Information
Locale Urban
Headmaster David Magner
Students 1400
Houses Swales, Grice, Langley, Campbell, Payn, and Blackmore
Type All-Boys Public School
Grades 8 - 12
Established 1866
Boarding Houses Blackmore
Homepage www.durbanhighschool.co.za

Durban High School or D.H.S. is a public high school for boys located on the Berea in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Contents

[edit] History

Durban High School, referred to usually as DHS or simply School, has had and still has a big impact on the city of Durban. The School has virtually grown up with the City which, though 21 years after becoming part of a British colony, was then little more than a camp on a swamp when DHS opened its doors on 1 June 1866 in two rooms and with seven pupils in Smith Street. From there it moved to a disused granary in Cato Square in 1880, just after the Zulu War, and then to the Old Hospital on the foreshore. Eventually, in 1895, it moved up onto the healthier Berea to its present site, where it flourished. The land, 10 acres in all, was granted to the School by the Durban Town Council. The first enrolled student was a boy called Eben Coakes and he was also the first Head-boy.

The School is currently located at: 255 St Thomas Road, Durban, 4001.

There is also a related primary school called Durban Preparatory High School (D.P.H.S.).

[edit] Houses

There are six houses namely: Swales, Grice, Langley, Campbell, Payn, and Blackmore (the boarders' house).

[edit] Blackmore

Blackmore House is a home for some 130 boarders. With a proud record stretching over 100 years the House is often spoken of as the backbone of the School. Discipline and high levels of good manners are the foundation stones of the House.

The staff of Blackmore attach a high priority to ensuring that the boys are happy in their home away from home. The boy's needs are well catered for with excellent food, computer facilities, TV, games room and comfortable dormitories with a maximum of 6 boys. The boys can go home virtually every weekend and are allowed to return on Monday mornings.

[edit] Durban High School Today

The School currently has roughly 1,400 enrolled students, all boys, (including a small boarding establishment) and over 70 teachers. The current Headmaster is David Magner.

[edit] Academics

DHS has over the past 141 years built up an enviable reputation as one of the pre-eminent educational institutions in the province and in the country. From its humble beginnings it has continued to promote the ethos of academic excellence and its academic results and achievements year in and year out bears testimony to this.

[edit] Subjects

In line with the requirements as laid down by the Education Department DHS offers the following subjects in the Junior and Senior Phase:

Junior Phase (Grades 8 & 9) Senior Phase (Grades 10 -12)
English X X
Afrikaans X X
IsiZulu X X
Mathematics X X
Natural Science X
Biology X
Physical Science X
HSS (Human & Social Sciences - History & Geography) X
History X
Geography X
Art & Culture X
Speech & Drama X
Technology X
Technical Drawing X
Accounting X
Life Orientation X
Physical Education (Linked to LO and various Sports Academies where applicable)
Formal Leadership Training (Non-examinable)
Music (Theory & practical - where applicable)
Computer Studies (Currently a 7th subject at Grade 10 & 11 level)
Economics Art Biblical Studies (Where applicable - 7th subject)
Latin (Where applicable - 7th subject)
Additional Mathematics (Where applicable - 7th subject)

A wide variety of subjects to cater for the needs of society in the 21st Century.

[edit] Class Sizes and Support Structures

Current teacher - pupil ratio in Grade 8 & 9 stands at approximately 1:23. The philosophy behind this is to ensure that pupils in these two grades receive as much academic support as possible when they are making the transition from primary to high school. In certain subjects(i.e. Mathematics and Languages) some classes are split even further to ensure that individual attention is provided to pupils who may experience difficulties in these specific subject areas. Class sizes in Grades 10 - 12 vary according to subject choice and may vary from 1:15 to 1:35(maximum). In addition to a well structured mentorship and counseling policy at the school DHS also offers a Mathematics Support Service to learners after hours should they wish to achieve additional expert tuition.

With a staff complement of 71 educators DHS is committed to providing a holistic and professional academic service to our pupils as they prepare for the real world that awaits them after their Grade 12 year.

[edit] Academic Achievements

DHS is recognised as an educational institution of excellence and the School's results reflects this.

DHS consistently have pupils in the top 10 in the Province based on their National Senior Certificate results and their pass and exemption rates over a number of years have been outstanding. The number of A aggregates and subject distinctions that are achieved on an annual basis makes DHS the top traditional boys school in KwaZulu Natal and one of the very best in South Africa. These results are all the more remarkable when one considers that, unlike a number of similar schools, Mathematics and Physical Science are compulsory for most pupils up to and including their Grade 12 year.

DHS also has an enviable reputation when it comes to academic achievements outside the classroom and numerous successes have been achieved in various Olympiads and Expositions that are held on an annual basis.

[edit] The Way Forward

The success of the DHS Old Boys in their academic pursuits as well as current and future career paths bears testimony to the solid academic foundation that they have achieved at "School". This will definitely continue into the future as DHS embarks on a new and exciting course in education comprising the General Education & Training Certificate(GETC)for Grade 8- 9 learners and the Further Education & Training Certificate(FETC) for Grade 10 - 12 learners. This process will commence in 2006 for the Grade 10 learners. DHS is also embarking on an extensive upgrade of their existing classrooms and specialised rooms(i.e. laboratories and speech & drama venues)

DHS has always prided itself on preparing ALL its learners for the future, whether it be the top academics or the average learner who might struggle with certain subjects. DHS' holistic approach to education, backed up by sound support structures and a committed, dedicated and well qualified staff ensure that DHS will continue to remain at the forefront of educational excellence in the years and decades to come.

[edit] Sports

A wide variety of sports are provided for at DHS, these include:

  • Athletics
  • Badminton
  • Basketball
  • Canoeing
  • Chess
  • Cricket
  • Cross Country
  • Cycling
  • Fishing
  • Golf
  • Hockey
  • Indoor Hockey
  • Inter-House Sports
  • Rugby
  • Rugby 7s
  • Soccer
  • Softball
  • Sport Climbing
  • Squash
  • Surfing
  • Swimming
  • Tennis
  • Touch Rugby
  • Waterpolo

[edit] Notable Alumni

Academics

Politicians

  • Sir Gavyn Arthur - 675th Lord Mayor of the City of London
  • Alec Erwin - South African Minister of Public Enterprises
  • Earl Stevenson - Kentucky Colonel, Honorary Chairman U.S. Republican National Committee, US Presidential Appointee

Business Titans

  • Steven Saad, South African Entrepreneur of the Year for 2004

Cricketers

  • Barry Richards
  • Lance Klusener - Proteas, Natal Dolphins, ICC 1999 World Cup Man of the Tournament, Wisden Cricketer of the Year 2000
  • Hashim Amla - Proteas, Natal Dolphins, (The first player of Indian descent to be selected to play for South Africa)
  • Richard Snell - 5 Tests and 42 One Day Internationals for South Africa

Rugby Players

  • Greg Rawlinson - First professional South African born All Black, also played for the Auckland Blues and currently plays for Worcester Warriors

[edit] External links

[edit] References

This South Africa school-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
v • d • e
KwaZulu-Natal High Schools
Alternative schools KwaZulu-Natal Coat of Arms
Private schools
Public schools
Vocational schools