Ons Geskiedenis
Ons skool het ook bekend gestaan as die skooltjie land die water. Die Anglikaanse Kerk het die skooltjie begin. Die skool het ontstaan in die dertiger jare en dit was net ‘n driemanskool gewees. Mnr. David Cyster was die eerste skoolhoof en die skool het toe bekend gestaan as St. Andrew’s E.K. Skool. In die veertigerjare het die skool gegroei tot ‘n sesman skool en Mnr. T. Petersen was toe die hoof. In 1951 het Mnr. C.S. Carollissen die nuwe skool hoof geraak. As gevolg van die groepsgebiedwet het die skool verskuif na White City en in 1962 was die skoolgebou voltooi. Die opening van die E.K. Skool het plaasgevind op 18 April 1962. Mnr. L.V. Clarke was die hoof vanaf Jan. 1967 tot Des. 1970. Die skool het bestaan uit 15 onderwysers en 545 leerders. Kinders van die naburige dorpies soos Stompneusbaai, Steenberg’s Cove, St. Helenabaai, Langebaan en Vredenburg. Mnr. J.E. Barker was al die skoolhoof in White City. St. Andrew’s Primêr was eintlik gestig in 1857 en is een van die oudste skole in ons land.
Background
We would like to give a better perspective of our school and community by giving you the following brief overview:
It has always been our wish and ambition to improve our school as a structure and the struggle for the progression of our children’s educational life, but our disadvantaged circumstances places huge challenges on our commitment.
Our school is situated in White City, Saldanha, historically a small fishing-village on the West Coast a. Our community makes a living from the sea. Most of our parents are seasonal workers with a fixed income for 5 months of the year, all depending on what the sea has to offer for the season.
Our pupils, who are mostly from a disadvantaged community, are mostly coloured (86%) and black (14%). Our school accommodates pupils from Pre-primary (Gr. R) to grade 7. Our school has a total enrolment of 999 pupils and 39 teachers (3 PARTLY WCED and SGB subsidized Grade R practitioners, 1 SGB, 25 WCED). The average income per family is less that R400 per week, and in some households even less than R200, per week. What complicates matters further is the fact that most of our pupils come from single parent families or are nurtured by an elder (Granny or Aunty). We face tremendous challenges to provide basic educational needs for our pupils, but despite all the odds against us, we strive to provide our learners with the best possible education. The COVID-19 pandemic has put us in a financial downward spiral, seeing that our parents are now struggling more that ever to make ends meet. Our income from fundraising had literally dried up- “no-kids-at-school” NO fundraising!!
We, as a School Governing Body and School Management Team, have identified a number of priorities, of which learner empowerment is central. Because of the fact that we are a no-fee school, Quantile 4, meaning that the poverty level of our parents is too high and therefor parents are exempted by the state from paying any school fees. As a Governing Body and Management Team, we need to search for alternative ways of funding to our dreams and aspirations for our kids.
Although we have a shortage of physical resources and lack finances to acquire them, we are blessed in many other domains. We are lucky to have a group of young, highly qualified and enthusiastic teachers who do their utmost to promote the school and realise the dream of our children. We serve a disadvantage community with little financial resources, but the members are willing to do so with pride. Our school has proud parents who have pledged allegiance and ownership to our school and who are willing to protect the property of our school. For the past 30 years our school has been educationally well maintained by committed school management, school Governing Body, teachers, support staff, learners and parents.
