Work in Progress - New Heads

Pieter Steyn has moved on from St James Johannesburg after nine years as headmaster. In 1999 he left a successful career in business to become a teacher, because he saw the importance for South Africa of offering the best education possible to children of all the races.

Pieter has been appointed head of another new educational venture, Masibambane College. He describes it as a school of 634 African pupils aged 5to 13, in an informal settlement on the outskirts of Johannesburg. ‘The children are beautiful, the teachers hugely committed and the parents hopeful of a brighter future for their children.’

Pieter needs good material to help the children excel in English. He has called on St James Publishing to help supply some 600 books from the St James reading scheme. ERT will help with a grant.

Meanwhile, St James Jo’burg has appointed Mark Grace as the new Head. He was formerly head of a secondary school nearby, and we look forward to working as well with him as we have done with Pieter Steyn.

The ERT trustees this month agreed to make a significant grant to the St James Jo’burg bursary fund in 2009, to allow the school to continue making the St James education as widely available as possible.