02
Dec
2014
Dec
2014
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”
Nelson Rolihlahla Madiba Mandela
In my opinion, one of the truest things ever said, for education is perhaps one of the most potent weapons of mass change the world has ever seen. Its value is immeasurable, and once gained it can never be taken away. It cannot be bought, but only learned. It is not a product of the wealthy, nor an invention of the powerful, but a tapestry of knowledge, woven together over thousands of years, a picture so vast that in our lifetime we may not even glimpse a fraction of what it details. Education is one of humanities greatest achievements – and the ability to pass it forward, one of our greatest gifts, for though we may never understand the picture as a whole, we may add to it in our own unique way, lending to its ever growing beauty, a physical comparison surely the golf course at Woodhill Country Club.
It is this idea of moving forward as a team that many schools within Pretoria’s prestigious eastern region strives to achieve – and achieve it they certainly do, for some of the brightest young minds were no doubt born of a cultivated curriculum of education that sees the aforementioned tapestry of knowledge woven into the very hearts and mind of the students that sit within the classrooms and lecture halls, soaking in the wisdom of a thousand years…albeit in hour-long settings, we work with what we’ve got I guess. Nevertheless the importance of education is certainly understood in the east, such is the emphasis on a strong academic upbringing. For change is seen in a bottom-up approach to the global problems of today – one needs to be able to, first and foremost, understand them, and the plight of those they affect, to be able to do anything towards finding a solution. And without education, there can be no understanding – a vicious cycle that is only broken when we as society set the bar, not only in achieving education for the leaders of tomorrow, but also setting the standard for the level to be achieved. And it is of the highest level that the schools of Pretoria east are held, by themselves, by the country, by us, the described level of education no doubt the driving force behind the natural wonders that are the lakes of Six Fountains, and all that they allow for
Abbotts College – if you want forward thinking, this is it. A private high school institution, Abbotts sees the use of a stylised and unique curriculum, better suited for the specific needs of the employment sector of a modern day free-market system. In other words, students are encouraged to think outside the box in attempting to make their own dreams a reality. For they know that, should they not seek to make it on their terms, they will find themselves in the employment of someone who is doing just that. And with the facilities and personnel to help them achieve this goal – the very latest in biology labs for aspiring scientists, fully-stocked, state-of-the-art kitchens for those wishing to achieve culinary greatness, I.T. facilities that would make Gates proud and more, there is no doubt that the next Shelldrake, the next Oliver, possibly the next Armstrong (Neil, Lance, take your pick) will emerge from the halls of Abbotts College to dominate their field of choice in ways no one ever has before.
Abbotts does not however stand alone in boasting their academic success. Competition in any aspect of life is a healthy thing, and no academy better rivals Abbotts than that of the Glen High School. Heritage is strong within these walls, as the Scottish influence is seen in their brilliantly coloured uniforms and the endorsement of traditional Scottish gear as part of it. The academic standards no doubt held to that same root adjective (i.e. brilliant, for there certainly is no other way to describe it), elegance in education is seen in the use of a strong sporting program to encourage mental as well as physical growth. A highly competitive atmosphere upon the sports field, the emphasis on sports is just as high as it is on work within the classroom, and encourages all Glenwegians to push themselves to the very limit of their abilities in finding that there are no limits to what the mind and body can achieve when the barriers of distraction are removed, to be replaced with a razor sharp focus. Highly respectful of those around them, students of The Glen High School are taught honour and honesty above all else, meaning that it is with clean hands and clean hearts that victories are won and shared, and defeat is rejected in keeping with the ideology that anything is possible if you’re willing to put in the work.
There was a time when, as a parent, one may have struggled to find a school worthy of the growing mind within your ever-inquisitive child. The best, and nothing but the best, would do to see your sons or daughters receive the tutoring that would push him or her to excel throughout life.
There was a time like that once, but it is no more. For the answers have been found, realised, and stand as the greatest educational institutes within the eastern reaches of Pretoria, the properties in Six Fountains Estate basking in their glow.
