Durban — Shallcross Secondary is celebrating its 50th birthday anniversary on Friday. The school was opened on October 14, 1972, and plans on going big for its celebration.
The school boasts all the sporting codes and learners who were selected to represent the province in soccer, netball, basketball and volleyball.
Shallcross Secondary, formerly known as Shallcross High School, was the very first high school in the area, quickly earning its good reputation.
That reputation includes being an outstanding school and regularly producing candidates who were placed in the top 10 in the country.
According to the principal, Mr Bongi Yende, the school has lived up to the root of its name. “From ‘we shall cross’ meaning ‘We shall overcome’,” he said.
Suda Singh, who studied at the school 40 years ago, said he was happy to be part of the celebration of the anniversary. Sing and other former learners, parents and well-wishers formed the Friends of Shallcross High Association (Fosha) which will work on revamping the school, upgrading it and also teaching some of the lessons learnt while they were still learners at Shallcross.
“This school has a lot of history behind it that the present (learners) are unaware of, and we want the same love and teachings to be felt by them. Discipline was instilled in us and we want the same for them,” said Singh.
Yende said they had partnered with organisations that will offer electrical and welding skills starting from Grade 11 so that they walk out of the gates with their matric and skills certificate.
This is what he said was to be expected from Friday’s anniversary celebration:
• Funds for re-roofing the school, contributions towards academic development, especially in maths and physics.
• Contributions towards skills development, namely welding and electrical, where the current learners from Grade 11 will attend.
• The community of Shallcross will benefit as Grade 12 learners will be given the opportunity to enrol as well. Partnering with an NPO to finance skills development.
• A 12-month programme by the ex-learners to commemorate this milestone with learners getting bursaries and other aids here at school.
Yende said this would help reduce the cost to the Department of Education as they would be doing mostly everything on their own.
“We are gradually growing, I joined the school in 2020 but I have already seen progress and I’m willing to take the school to greater heights,” he said.
Daily News