“Aim high, aim high. We know a school that shows the way.”
Whoever wrote the first two lines of Pinelands North Primary School’s anthem all those years ago must have had the gift of precognition. How else could they have guessed that the school would one day be a beacon for other schools around the world.
Competing with three million schools across this planet in 190 countries, Pinelands North was named as a finalist in the Top 10 shortlist for the World’s Best School Prizes in the Overcoming Adversity category on Thursday 9 June.
Together with fellow finalist West End Primary in Mitchell’s Plain, these two proudly South African education institutions will now compete with eight other schools in their category from Australia, Malaysia, India, Uganda, Brazil, Jamaica, Kenya and Nigeria, for the $50 000 (R764 085) prize.
The atmosphere on Thursday morning was jubilant as learners, parents, teachers and a whole bunch of Western Cape government VIPs gathered at the school for “the big announcement”.
Joanne Peers, community support coordinator, hinted at the reason why they were all there that morning when she spoke about overcoming adversity. What it meant not only for their learners and teachers, but for young South Africans everywhere.
“While we have aimed high, we have learned to reach beyond ourselves. To remember that when we celebrate what we have overcome, we must stay thinking about those who live in school spaces where they don’t have the freedoms that we have.”
The former Pinelands North learner described the school not as a place for numbers and spelling but as a place for connections, empowerment and care. She said the school gave each learner an invitation, not only to be themselves, but to be celebrated for who they were and to experience difference as a gift to the community.
“They are children who have made us remember that we have rights to learn, all of us, and that to make that possible we had to make sure that they have what they need. That’s it. A ramp to move on or a person to read for them or to speak or draw instead of having to write.
“Families who have made us challenge the rules that force boys to play certain sports and girls not to. To even look at certain genders, being able to play certain instruments or not.”
Next on the podium was Allan Winde, premier of the Western Cape. Holding the audience in suspense just a little longer, he was the one who finally let the cat out of the bag. Congratulating Pinelands North for being named as a finalist in the World’s Best School Prize, Winde said these kinds of schools didn’t just happen.
“They come from leadership. They come from values. They come from community. They come from people. And a school is the centre of a community. And today we are recognizing that centre. We are recognizing what you all do,” he said.
Fostering inclusivity
The World’s Best School Prizes was launched this year by T4 Education in partnership with Templeton World Charity Foundation, Accenture and American Express. T4 is a global organisation committed to providing engaging tools, initiatives, and events for teachers to improve education.
A media statement released by the organisation last week described Pinelands North as one of the country’s leading institutions when it comes to fostering inclusivity in education.
According to the statement, the ethos of Pinelands North centres on building relationships within the school’s community and breaking down barriers. All learners, male or female, wear the same uniforms.
The school has brought in gender neutral bathrooms and everyone, including teachers, is addressed by their first name. From Grade 2, students are taught sign language.
“When the school accepted its first transgender pupil, it provided guidance for families about gender identities and trained staff through workshops on how to guide parents to adapt to the school’s new policies,” the statement says.
“This philosophy extends to animal welfare: students are encouraged to take care of animals and view them as part of the family.
A programme was set up for pupils to volunteer to be ‘animal monitors’ and help coach each other on how best to handle the animals under their care.” It goes further to state that in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Pinelands North’s governing body implemented a fund to assist families who were struggling financially, had all staff participate in bereavement and trauma training to better support learners and parents.
Community collaboration
Following Winde, school principal Ann Morton said what made the school so amazing was the community collaboration that they have experienced in the past and continue to enjoy.
“The families that came to this school are part of the solution of education in South Africa. Because you chose a school that is diverse, that is accepting of everybody. And not only accepting but you’re willing to work towards making the rest of the world more accepting of everyone.”
Morton said when she took up the role of principal in 1997, the school was a very different place.
“It was a white school with a couple of brown children. It had no brown teachers except the brown adults who were the workers at the school. Now the school is probably the most diverse staff that you would find in any school in South Africa.”
She said it was something that they were proud of.
“Role models for children are one of the most important things when a governing body employs staff. To employ the most efficient, lovely, enthusiastic, loving people to look after their children every single day.”
The top three finalists in the Overcoming Adversity category will be announced later this year. After a public advisory vote, the winner will be chosen based on rigorous criteria by a judging academy comprising leaders all across the globe, including academics, educators, NGOs, social entrepreneurs, government, civil society, and the private sector.
The winners will be announced in October.
