RCS in good hands
This was the beginning of a rich history of which Ms Loots is at the helm today
The woman holding the reins at Robert Carruthers School is more than capable to steer this school to new heights.
This was the message that came through on Thursday, October 3 during a cocktail evening held at Mystical Mansions to welcome the new headmaster of RCS onboard.
Ms Wendy Loots has been teaching at the school for the past 33 years.
She is taking over from Ms Lorna Bannatyne.
“Lorna’s shoes are big ones to fill, but I have an incredible team that makes the task so much easier,” Ms Loots said.
RCS is the oldest school in eMalahleni and has an interesting and varied history closely connected to the development and growth of this platteland city.
During and immediately after the Boer War education and schooling facilities and standards in South Africa suffered immensely and as a consequence, in 1902, the Lord Milner Administration actively enticed British teachers to the war-torn country.
And so it was that Mr Robert Carruthers, 28, arrived in the country, along with many other Scottish and Welsh teachers and started his South African career as principal of Miriam Marks School in Pretoria.
At this time the Anglican community in the then Witbank erected a corrugated iron structure in the veldt on the site of the present Sheins Building on the corner of Eadie and Lewis Streets.
The idea was that the ‘building’ would serve as a school during the week and a place of worship on Sundays – catering for children and adults from the surrounding farms.
Mr Holland was appointed as the first school principal in 1906 but died not long thereafter and was succeeded by Mr Urie who stood in as principal until Mr Carruthers was appointed into the post in 1908.
This was the beginning of a rich history of which Ms Loots is at the helm today.
