Holy Family College closes primary school in Durban
The board of trustees at one of the oldest schools in Durban has announced that it will close its primary school at the end of this year due to low enrolment. The decision is expected to affect the school staff and current learners.
A TOTAL of 82 learners and some members of staff will be affected by the closure of the Glenwood-based Holy Family College’s primary school at the end of the 2024 academic year.
The decision was announced by the board of the nearly 150-year Catholic school on Tuesday, October 15. Aidan Fayle, chair of the trustees, said, “The market for private education at primary age is very different from the high school market.”
The closure will affect the current learners from Grade 000 to Grade Seven.
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“We have always struggled to create viable classes in our primary school, and indeed, this year, one of our grades has only seven children. We do not feel it is fair on the learners to be in such a small environment, and that prompted the decision to conduct a thorough review. Our conclusion is that the human and physical resources of the school are better focused entirely on the high school which is indeed where we originated,” said Fayle.
The school principal, Ursula Collings, said the focus will now be on strengthening the high school level of the college as they prepare to mark their 150th anniversary in 2025.
“Many public and private primary schools have opened their doors to welcome our learners,” said Collings.
The Holy Family Schools Trust also oversees three other schools in Durban: the combined private girls’ school, Maris Stella, and at primary level, two public schools on private property, St Augustine’s and St Anthony’s.
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“Holy Family College continues to remain committed to providing a values-based education in a family environment. Our high school learners appreciate being in a school that is big enough for them to develop but also small enough to be supportive, with an average of 25 learners per grade. I know that the skills of my teaching staff will remain focused on instilling good morality and self-discipline among our learners. Closing the primary school will enable us to be more single-minded. Regrettably, it will mean the loss of some teachers and support staff, but we are looking at ways to minimise that. We want to approach our 150th anniversary from a position of strength and a clear vision of who we are as a school,” added principal Collings.
Holy Family College is the oldest Catholic school in Durban, having been established in 1875. The school later moved to its present site in Glenwood as Convent High School, and over the years, they added the primary school.
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