LEADERS IN LEARNING
CAMBRIDGE-STRATEGIES.ORG BHS.CO.ZA BENONI, GAUTENG, SOUTH AFRICA
“ALTHOUGH OUR PRIMARY FOCUS IS VERY MUCH ACADEMIC, WE BELIEVE THERE ARE LESSONS TO BE LEARNT AWAY FROM YOUR DESK”
BENONI HIGH SCHOOL
HAVING ESTABLISHED A reputation for academic excellence at secondary- school level, Benoni High School in the South African province of Gauteng is now branching out into further education with a new learning centre. Offering university and diploma courses, this will provide pupils with the chance to continue their studies without having to move away from home. The centre is due to open at the school this year. It will offer BA, BSc
and BCom courses and degrees in education, as well as diploma courses in Project Management, Human Resources and Management Practices. Operating after-school hours, students will be taught via a combination of on-site lectures and interactive distance learning. “It’s going to be a vast and very involved programme, both exciting and
challenging for our youngsters,” says the school’s Principal Jake Ceronio. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for them and for us, and something that we’ve been aspiring towards and working hard to bring to fruition for a long time.”
BRINGING EDUCATION HOME Benoni High currently has a student body of around 1,500, roughly 80 per cent of which go on to tertiary education when they leave. As it stands, students wanting to continue their education either have to move away to live in university residences, or take return journeys to cities such as Pretoria or Johannesburg. The new learning centre will enable them, instead, to gain further qualifications without the expense of studying far from home. In addition to the new learning centre, the school’s gymnasium has also been accredited as a training centre and employs two sports scientists. This means former students studying for degrees in sports science can now return to the school for their practical year.
A SPORTING CHANCE Sport has always played an integral role at Benoni High. It is renowned for its achievements and has created a number of sporting academies, including a rapidly expanding rugby academy that offers training to pupils from local primary schools. Ceronio explains that the emphasis on physical education is not
just important in terms of success on the playing field, but that it also plays a crucial role in the school’s academic achievements. “There has got to be a good balance between sport and academics,” he observes. “We believe that schools that do well at sport also do well academically. It means that children are more focused, attentive and ambitious in their studies.”
This applies to other extracurricular activities, too, and the school
offers a range of opportunities for pupils to explore their interests and talents. These include debating and drama groups, as well as a pipe band that won the World Pipe Band Championships in 2009 and is a consistent winner of South African Championships. “Although our primary focus is very much academic, we recognise the importance of extracurricular activities,” says Ceronio. “We believe there are lessons to be learnt away from your desk.” That said, Benoni High’s new learning centre is an exciting and
important development for a school that is constantly evolving in order to remain at the forefront of its field. By moving into further education, and continuing to emphasise the importance of extracurricular activities, it offers its students the best opportunities to succeed, both in the classroom and beyond.
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