Cape Town - When Star College was named the third best school in the Western Cape in 2019 there were many surprised faces but not for the staff of the Bridgetown school.
Star College achieved a 100% pass rate and 95.24% Bachelor passes. The average in each subject was 70%. However, the principal of Ugur Hulusi Patli said they were aiming for 100% Bachelor passes.
"We, at Star College, Bridgetown, were over the moon with the excellent results achieved by our class of 2019. We were certainly not surprised. We knew that the hard work and good discipline of the learners, the professionalism of the teachers and support of the parents would pay dividends," said Patli.
Picture: Yasmine Jacobs/IOL
Bursar Mariam Mohamed explained why the school's holisitic approach to education. "We take on a holistic approach not only in terms of education but also for them as a person. We want to give the child the tools to take forth in life."
Mohamed said successful matriculants would often thank her, telling her that they understand why teachers were "so tough" on them.
English educator Marc Williams supported her statement and said what makes the school different are house visits.
Educators and grade heads visit the boys to get an understanding of them as a person, not just as another pupil. They then use this knowledge to help the child thrive.
This ties in with the values they try to instill in the learners. "I am teaching Maths academically yes, but I am making a plan for their behaviours one by one. Sometimes we take them for sleepovers and see them during tea times or camping. Those kind of activities make us closer to the learners and then we can play that role model in their lives - even for their lives after university," said Mathematics teacher Mahmut Batir.
What they all agreed on was that the location of the school made the school a "hidden gem".
Patli said when the results were announced by Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga, the murmurs around the room were "Star College in Bridgetown.. Really? Where is that?", making this story the perfect underdog story.
Williams added that if safety was a concern, there was no reason to panic. "Once people come here, you don't even realise you are in Bridgetown. The area is pretty safe."
However, Patli and Mohamed said that obtaining better sport facilities is an ongoing challenge.
Star College in Bridgetown is a boys' only school and the single-sex schools schools debate was brought up.
"There is healthy competition between the boys and I don't think that would have necessarily happened had there been girls at the school. Boys are very competitive so that played out in their academics, so I think maybe it is a plus for us to just have boys here," said Williams.
Patli agreed wholeheartedly. "If you look at South Africa, the best schools are usually single-sex schools. At that age, their brains are busy. If you leave them to their own devices, they will be playful, think about girlfriends etc. They are distracting themselves. But if you give them good goals, they work hard. So it is a big advantage for us."
The principal emphasised the need for good education. "If you want to change the face of the country, you have to give more attention to education," said Patli.
"I am reminded of the quote by Nelson Mandela who said education is the most powerful tool that can be used to change your life. That's the quote we use to encourage our boys. Our success stems from the parents, teachers and learners and the three of us working together to bring out the best in the child," Williams added.
The difference between being educated and having an education was a big one. "With an education, sometimes there is arrogance. People will say 'So I have my Masters, I have my Doctorate' whereas if you are educated, you might have done research but you don't have the formal qualification. You can still be successful and not have a formal qualification."