From January 2020, Maragon Ruimsig, a private institution in the ADvTECH Group, will be under the CrawfordSchools™ umbrella.
CrawfordSchools™ made this announcement, explaining the reasons for taking over the Ruimsig-based institution on the corner of Peter and Van Dalen Roads.
Founded in the year 2000, Maragon Ruimsig will be rebranded to CrawfordSchools Ruimsig Maragon from next year, to suit the new vision.
A delighted managing director, Morag Rees, elaborated on the history and vision of CrawfordSchools™.
“CrawfordSchools™ started in 1993 with the purpose of offering progressive, premium-level, non-traditional, co-educational and non-denominational education from Grade 000 to Grade 12, with an emphasis on maximising the potential of every student.”
Regarding the transition, she said, “A lot of work has gone into understanding the school community at Maragon Ruimsig as well as understanding our future school community. A school is not a 10-year project; it is a 100-year project. We believe that no school in the area caters to the progressive and modern community we find ourselves in.”
Despite a number of competitors in their space, Morag alluded to being the only alternative institution that fits into this integrated and diverse local community, without religious, race and cultural limitations.
“CrawfordSchools™ has a well-established reputation for providing an excellent academic offering in a multicultural and notably diverse context, and we believe that there is a wonderful opportunity to extend this to the West Rand. We believe the biggest opportunity on the West Rand is to offer something that is not being offered by any school in the area,” she explained.
As change can be marred by different views, especially from the parents, Morag said their engagement with the parents was positive.
“There has been a great deal of curiosity, with parents wanting to learn more about the Crawford offering and the details of how this would benefit their own children. The parents have been very proactive in engaging with our team and keen to meet with us to investigate all aspects of our offering,” she reflected.
She clarified the issues surrounding school fees and uniform. “The fees will only increase by the standard annual increase as is usual for schools. The fees for 2020 will be in line with any increase, had the school not become a Crawford School.
“We are very aware of the financial challenges our parents face, and the students will be offered a two-year period over which they can transition from the current uniform to the new multiform,” she explained. She added that the new uniform would not be compulsory for Grade 11 and 12 learners; however, their uniform approach which they call multiform, consisting of a variety of branded combinations, would see learners possibly opting for it as it is relatively affordable and comfortable to wear.
Also, when institutions are taken over by new management, reshuffling or retrenchments usually take place, but Morag assured that jobs would be safe.
“We have no plans to retrench any teachers and would like to develop a secure and stable staff complement. As positions arise there may well be interest from teachers at other Crawford schools to join the Ruimsig team. Crawford actively offers ongoing training and development to all its teachers, and the Ruimsig team will be included in all these sessions.”
“Additionally, there will be ongoing workshops, staff meetings and training (informal and formal) on curriculum, the Crawford ethos and delivering a relevant, 21st century education,” she concluded.
