Paul Roos Gymnasium
Paul Roos Gymnasium is a public, dual medium (Afrikaans & English) high school for boys in the town of Stellenbosch, Western Cape, South Africa, and opened on the 1st of March 1866 as Stellenbosch Gymnasium. It is the 12th oldest school in the country.[1]
| Paul Roos Gymnasium | |
|---|---|
| Address | |
| |
311 Suidwal Rd, Krigeville , | |
| Coordinates | 33.9419°S 18.8614°E |
| Information | |
| School type | All-boys public school |
| Motto | Semper Splendidior (Always Brighter / Always More Splendid) |
| Religious affiliation(s) | Christian |
| Established | 8 January 1866 |
| Sister school | Bloemhof High School Rhenish Girls' High School |
| School district | District 9 |
| Rector | Mr André van Staden |
| Staff | 120 full-time |
| Grades | 8–12 |
| Gender | Male |
| Age | 14 to 18 |
| Number of students | 1,300 boys |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Schedule | 07:40 - 14:20 |
| Campus | Urban Campus |
| Houses |
|
| Colour(s) | Gold Maroon Navy White |
| Fight song | Old Boys of Paul Roos |
| Nickname | The Roos, The Maroon Machine, PRG. |
| Rival | Grey College |
| Accreditation | Western Cape Education Department |
| Publication | The Semper |
| Newspaper | Concipio |
| Website | www |
In 1910, the school was renamed Stellenbosch Boys' High School and old boy Paul Roos became the sixth rector of the school where he served for thirty years. In 1946 the school moved to the new buildings in Krigeville and was renamed Paul Roos Gymnasium after Paul Roos, old boy and captain of the first Springbok team, was himself a teacher at the school, and was the school's rector from 1910 to 1940, after which the school was renamed in his honour.
A notable characteristic of the school is its gees (Afrikaans for spirit) and their famous fight song "Old boys of Paul Roos" which is the melody of Flower of Scotland in remembrance of the first three Scottish rectors, which they sing with their old boys.
Paul Roos Gymnasium has produced more Springbok rugby players than any other school (54). It is also the school with the most players in the 2019 Rugby World Cup including five Springboks namely Schalk Brits, Willie le Roux, Steven Kitshoff, Herschel Jantjies, Damian Willemse and Braam Steyn who played for Italy.
Associations and facilities
Though Paul Roos Gymnasium is a school for boys from grade 8 to 12, the curriculum includes some subjects presented in conjunction with the two sister schools, Hoër Meisieskool Bloemhof and Rhenish. The school is dual medium;[2] Afrikaans- and English-speaking pupils study under one roof, but classes are largely separated according to mother tongue. The school shares sport and internet facilities with Stellenbosch University.
School facilities include a library and computer labs.
Sports facilities include hockey fields, the Markötter rugby fields, a swimming pool, an Olympic Waterpolo Aquatic Centre, tennis courts, and a gymnasium.
The main residential facilities are the two school hostels (dormitories) called Prima and Prima Nova. They accommodate 245 boarders, mainly from South Africa and Namibia.
Notable attainments
Paul Roos was classified as a 'prestige' school, being among the best-performing schools.[3] In 2018 the University of Stellenbosch, which evolved out of this school, celebrated its centenary. In the first 100 years of its existence, 26 old boys received honorary doctorates from this university more than any other school in the country. Also, since the inception of the Chancellor's Medal in 1961, thirteen old boys were awarded this medal for the best final year student by Stellenbosch University.
Notable alumni
Businessmen
- Dr Edwin Hertzog, founder and executive chairman of Mediclinic International
- Giuseppe Ciucci, CEO Stonehage Fleming
- Jannie Durand, Rhodes scholar, CEO Remgro
- Jannie Marais, benefactor of the Het Jan Marais Fonds
- Johann Rupert, executive chairman Richemont
- George Rautenbach, a founding member of Megapro
- Michael Jordaan, former CEO FNB
- Dr Michiel de Kock, former governor of South African Reserve Bank
- Niel Krige, former MD of MomentumLife
- Riaan Stassen, former businessman of the year and former CEO Capitec Bank
Judges
- Judge Daniel de Waal
- Judge BA Tindall
- Judge ER Roper
- Sir John Murray
- Judge John Trengove, advocate and judge, including of the then Appellate Division, and, as of late 2019, centenarian
- Judge FJW van der Riet
- Judge GJM Maritz
- Judge Hendrik van Zyl
- Judge Hennie Nel
- Judge Hennie Lacock
- Judge NJ de Wet
- Judge Pierre Olivier
- Judge Servaas Hofmeyr
Academics
- Anton van Niekerk, professor of Philosophy
Writers
- Armand Aucamp, recipe book "Armand Kook Kaal"
- Prof CFJ Muller, historical writer
- Dr Etienne van Heerden, twice Hertzog Prize winner
- Prof ELP Stals, historic writer
- Jean Meiring
- Prof Piet Cillie, writer and journalist
- Pieter du Toit
- Gideon Joubert, writer and journalist
- Dr Ronnie Belcher
- Tom Dreyer, novelist, poet and column writer
- Uys Krige, Hertzog Prize winner, writer, poet, playwright and rugby union footballer
- Dr Wilhelm Verwoerd, philosopher, peace-maker and writer
Journalists
- Hendrik Verwoerd, motor journalist
- Pieter-Louis Myburgh, investigative journalist
Artists
- David Botha
- Francois Krige
- Francois Roux
- Hannes Meiring
- Jan Visser
- Portchie
- RonaLD West
- T.O. Honiball artist and cartoonist
- Vernon Swart
Musicians
- Arnold van Wyk, composer, musicologist
- Heinz Winckler, the winner of South Africa's first Idols competition and popular musician (latterly mainly gospel)
- Koos Kombuis, South African short-story writer, poet, novelist and cult musician
- Roelof Temmingh, winner of the Tagore medal for the best final year student at the Royal College of Music
Actors
- Armand Aucamp
- Danie Smuts
- Limpie Basson
- Louis van Niekerk
- Marcel van Heerden
- Nic de Jager, actor, director and radio presenter, presenter of Nic se Goed on RSG
Politician - three Prime Ministers
- J.B.M. Hertzog, prime minister of the Union of South Africa
- D.F. Malan, South African prime minister
- Jan Smuts,[4] South African prime minister and Field Marshal in the British Army, as well as one of the founders of the, League of Nations and United Nations
Cricket
- Peter van der Merwe, Proteas cricketer
Rugby
- Andries Bekker, Springbok rugby player
- Schalk Brits, Saracens and Springbok rugby player
- Boy de Villiers, Maties, Western Province and Springbok centre
- Francois Hougaard, Worcester Warriors and Springbok rugby player
- Juandré Kruger, Springbok rugby player
- Tjol Lategan, Springbok rugby player
- Robbie Louw, rugby union player
- Willie le Roux, Wasps and current Springbok rugby union player
- Jim McKendrick, Springbok Rugby Player
- Paul Roos, Springbok rugby union captain
- Josh Strauss, Captain of the Lions, the Currie Cup champions 2011
- Damian Willemse, Stormers and Springbok rugby player
- Herschel Jantjies, Stormers and Springbok rugby player
- Cobus Visagie, accountant and former Springbok rugby player
Rhodes Scholarship
The Rhodes Scholarship was instituted in 1903, and Paul Roos is one of four schools in South Africa entitled to award a Rhodes Scholarship annually to an ex-pupil to study at the University of Oxford.[5]
References
- "This list with 200 of South Africa's oldest schools may surprise you". Parent. 9 April 2018. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
- Malherbe, Ernst Gideon (1946). The bilingual school: A Study of Bilingualism in South Africa. London: Longmans. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-405-11086-3.
- Marking Matric: Colloquium Proceedings, Vijay Reddy, 2006. HSRC Press. ISBN 0-7969-2116-4
- van Onselen, Charles (2003). "The Modernization of the Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek: F. E. T. Krause, J. C. Smuts, and the Struggle for the Johannesburg Public Prosecutor's Office, 1898-1899". Law and History Review. American Society for Legal History. 21 (3): 483–525. doi:10.2307/3595118. JSTOR 3595118.
- Rhodes, Cecil John. "Will and Condicils of the Rt Hon. Cecil John Rhodes" (PDF). Rhodes Trust, University Press Oxford. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 6 September 2009.