A SCHOOL PROPOSED FOR SIMON'S TOWN

After 1743 the population increased in Simon's Town and it was stated that the education and culture of its youth merited attention. The School Commission recommended that a good school be erected at every village where there was a church and minister. Governor Cradock decided that schools also be established at Simon's Town.

 

CRADOCK'S DUTCH SCHOOL

1813 Simon's Town's first school was opened in the Residency. It was called Cradock's Dutch School. This school did not meet the needs of Simon's Town, as the majority of inhabitants were English speaking, connected with the Navy and Army.

 

THE INFANT SCHOOL

1851 When the Free School building grew too small it was decided to separate the very young children from the older pupils. The Admiralty granted the land on which the new Infant School was to be built.

1852 The school was opened by the Dean of Cape Town, Rev. W.A. Newman.

1969 After the Group Areas Act of 1967 was enforced, the school closed.

 

THE SCHOOL OF INDUSTRY FOR GIRLS.

1843 The girls' section of the Free School was renamed the School of Industry for Girls.

1850s Sometime in this period a new school building was erected.

1868 There were 118 girls at the school. Subjects included English composition; reading; grammar; writing; and arithmetic; geography; history and sewing.

1915 The school celebrated its centenary.

 

THE DUTCH CHURCH SCHOOL

1856 The school opened in the same year as the Dutch Reformed Church, with J.H. Tulleken as the Headmaster.

1861 The school was closed after an inspection by education authorties declared it ill-furnished; disorganised and unsupported by the community.

 

THE SIMON'S TOWN GRAMMAR SCHOOL

1864 It was the private school of W.H. Mardon exclusively for boys. Subjects taught included English; History; Geography; Mathematics; Latin and Greek. Scholars were prepared for   English universities and Military; Naval and Civil Services. A grammar school was also founded by the Anglican Church.

 

THE ENGLISH SCHOOL SMITSWINKEL BAY

1860's This school was built for the ildren of labourers and subsistence farmers who were the descendants of freed slaves; khoikhoi peoples; Europeans and so on, who had farmed in the surrounding areas, since the 1700's. The school was built by the community themselves. It is uncertain how long it operated.

 

WILDSCHUTSBRAND SCHOOL

1860's This school was established about this time by the Dutch Reformed Church. Children of all races came from the small farms in the surrounding area.

1970's The school operated until the Group Areas Act of 1967 forced its closure. This school may also have been known as the Silo School.

 

THE BOYS' MISSION SCHOOL

1875 This school opened with IT Hart as Principal and Miss Snooke as assistant teacher.

Hadjie Bahaar Manuel remembers: “...... a stone building which served as a boys' English Mission School, but girls also attended ..... (I) Myself attended this school in 1885 where Black; Brown and White mixed freely” (Historical Simon's Town)

This school may have been linked to the Catholic Church in Simon's Town. It is uncertain when it closed.

 

WESLEYAN MISSION SCHOOL ELSIES RIVER

1853 The Wesleyan Mission School was started at Elsies River (close to today's Municipal Waterworks at Brooklands), by Reverend John Thomas. Mrs Brewitt began teaching a class of 10 boys and 14 girls.

1856 The Reverend Parsonson received a grant to build a chapel and a formal school building at Elsies River. The school served the community of subsistence farmers, who also sold firewood and their manual labour to make ends meet. The children paid school fees and donations were received from well-wishers.

1897 The school was closed.

 

WESLEYAN MISSION SCHOOL · SIMON'S TOWN

1880 Reverend William J. Hacker and the Wesleyans began mission school with 41 pupils.

1884 The foundation stone was laid. The school served all races and religious denominations

1899 The mission school lost pupils to Simon's Town High School and was forced to close. The schoolhouse became the Soldiers' and Sailors' Home for men in uniform, passing

through Simon's Town. It was particularly well patronised during the World Wars.

1966 The home closed and parts of the building were used by the Methodist Sunday School.

1978 The Alcoholics Victorious established a home for recovering alcoholics in the building.

 

CATHOLIC MISSION SCHOOL 

School lessons were held in the entrance of the First Catholic Chapel.

1869 Dr Rooney became the parish priest and was also a teacher.

1875 He proceeded to build a school which even non-Catholics attended.

1926 Additional classrooms were built.

1928 The Ursuline Sisters taught at the school.

1936 The Dominican Sisters took over.

1947 The Department of Education reported the schoolrooms in a very delapidated state.

 

ST FRANCIS XAVIER’S MISSION SCHOOL

1948 When the old school became intolerably run down, the Dominican Sisters stepped in and erected a new school, incorporating two old classrooms. They named it St Francis Xavier's Mission School. The Principal was a Dominican Sister, who had a staff of coloured lay teachers. This school was forced to close after the proclamation of the Group Areas Act of 1967.

 

ST JOSEPH'S CONVENT

The Ursuline Sisters bought “the Bungalow", home of the late Dr Clarke and converted it into a convent.

1925 Substantial additions were made to the building around this time.

1935 The Dominican Sisters took over the running of the convent.

1972 The convent was forced to close owing to a lack of funding.

 

VICTORIA MEMORIAL SCHOOL

1901 “… the Council decided by unanimous resolution to establish and control an elementary school in the neighbourhood of Mount Pleasant, for Girls and Boys, having for its object particularly a Kindergarten Department, the teaching of domestic economy and technical education, including woodwork. A most valuable and ideal site has been granted ... which had been reserved for the erection of a new Gaol ..." Municipality Minutes of 31st July 1901.

 

ARSENAL ROAD SCHOOL

1911 Arsenal Road School was opened by William Runciman, Mayor of Simon's Town, as a Grade 3 Primary School. Initially it catered only for whites, but gradually opened its doors to coloured children as well.

1954 Mr Damons, the principal, convinced the authorities that a secondary school was an absolute necessity in the town.

1955 Arsenal Road Secondary was started.

1964 The Department of Coloured Affairs took over and Mr Damons became the principal of the Secondary School, (still with a primary section).

1970 After 59 years, as a result of the Group Areas Act, Arsenal Road School closed.

 

ST FRANCIS MISSION SCHOOL

The school was established to replace the Infant School, the School of Industry for Girls and the Mission School for Boys.

1944 A two-storeyed building was erected replacing the old, inadequate school rooms. As enrolment increased more classrooms were added.

1959 A final extension was added, which meant 300 pupils could be accommodated at the school.

1969 After the proclamation of the Group Areas Act of 1967, the school was closed.

 

THE FREE SCHOOL

1815 This school was established by the Anglican Church. Education there was indeed free. It was situated opposite Jubilee Square in the building which is now the Patel family's shop. The pupils came from “Dutch; English; Prize Negro and Slave" backgrounds.

1824 The Government took over control and financing of the school.

1843 From this time, only boys were educated at the school. The girls were educated at the new School of Industry.

1862 School fees were introduced, but children whose parents couldn't afford to pay, were still admitted.

1865 When Stephen Sawle Osler resigned due to illness after 27 and half years as Headmaster, the school closed - a requirement of the Education Act of 1865. The school was replaced by the Undenomi- national Public School, which was only Government-aided and not aided and not wholly financed. The community had to contribute to its upkeep. 1865

 

THE UNDENOMINATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL

1815 The Simon's Town Free School was established.

1824 The Government took over control of the school.

1865 Out of this Anglican - linked Free School grew the Undenominational Public School for children of all religions.

1893 The school closed, owing to a lack of support.

 

SIMON'S TOWN HIGH SCHOOL

1896 This school was built to take the place of the Undenominational Public School, which was no longer being supported by the community. It provided education for both boys and girls.

1948 The school was asked to sell their building to the Simon's Town Municipality for their offices.

1953 This was finally done because these premises had become too small for the number of pupils. A new school building was built at Seaforth, comprising of both a Primary and a High School.

1995 The old cable-laying ship, "Cable Restorer" was put to use when the High School began a new course in maritime subjects for its pupils.