The former Anglican church in Khayamandi has been transformed into a temporary state-of-the-art private secondary learning institution for children of the Stellenbosch township.
Apex Stellenbosch, located in Masithandane Street, opened its doors to its first Grade 8 class last month (January). A total of 88 learners have started high school there, and it is ultimately set to house 1 000 learners from Grade 8 to 12.
“Apex” is not a new name in the education sphere of the Western Cape, with Acorn Education opening Apex High School in Eerste River, in partnership with the provincial education department, in January 2018. The school was opened with the aim of bridging the education gap among high-income, middle-class and low-income citizens.
Apex Stellenbosch was opened by the Apex Education Group, a non-profit company with the primary purpose and social mandate to offer good-quality education, explained Jana du Plooy, Apex Education Group CEO.
“In South Africa, both the public- and private-school sector supply quality education to learners, but public schools are often overburdened with either too many learners or teachers having to teach with fewer resources,” she said.
As for why it was decided to open a private school in the township, she said: “Among those learners there are learners from middle-class families who cannot afford the exorbitant fees of private schools, but they are very willing to pay a certain amount to Apex as an alternative option for quality education.”
A subsidiary of the Apex Education Group, Apex Stellenbosch will function differently from its Eerste River counterpart. While the latter is a collaborative school with both public and private school mandates, the Stellenbosch school will be a fully private institution.
For now, Apex Stellenbosch can accommodate only 100 Grade 8 learners, explained principal Robyn van de Rhede. “The school will grow with a new grade every year, with the current Grade 8 class being taken to Grade 12,” she said.
“The reception from the community has been amazing, and we already have 88 learners which is more than we initially expected.”
According to Du Plooy the permanent school building will be constructed on a tract of land purchased by the Apex Education Group, along the R304 outside Khayamandi.
“We didn’t want to wait for the development to be completed before opening the school, so we decided to operate from the old church and move into the new school as soon as it is completed, hopefully in January next year,” she said.
- Apex Stellenbosch is still reviewing late applications for Grade 8 learners for 2024. Van de Rhede urged parents to visit the school’s website (apexstellenbosch.org) and its social media platforms for more information.
