Hoërskool Waterkloof

Hoërskool Waterkloof is a public Afrikaans medium co-educational high school situated in the eastern suburbs of Pretoria in the Gauteng province of South Africa. It is one of the most expensive Afrikaans medium schools, the fee per child amounting to R 32,400 per annum (as of 2019).[1] It has received the award for academic school of the year from the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. In 2018 it received the award for best academic school in Gauteng province, the 9th time since 2009. It claims a 100% matric pass rate for 30 consecutive years.[2]

Hoërskool Waterkloof
Hoërskool Waterkloof Hostel Entrance
Location
Boeing St & Solomon Mahlangu Drive,
Erasmuskloof, Pretoria, 0048

Pretoria
,
Gauteng

South Africa
Coordinates25°49′08″S 28°15′21″E
Information
TypePublic & Boarding
Motto"Ons bou in geloof"
("We build in faith")
Religious affiliation(s)Christianity
Established9 January 1979 (1979-01-09)
School districtDistrict 9
School number012 347 0277
HeadmasterMr. Chris H. Denysschen
Grades8–12
GenderBoys & Girls
Age14 to 18
Number of students2,000 pupils
LanguageAfrikaans
Schedule07:30 - 14:00
CampusUrban Campus
Campus typeSuburban
Colour(s)  Blue
  White
  Yellow
NicknameKlofies
RivalHoërskool Eldoraigne
Hoërskool Garsfontein
Hoërskool Menlopark
Hoërskool Monument
AccreditationGauteng Department of Education
NewspaperKlofieKan
School feesR40,000 (boarding)
R32,400 (tuiton)
Feeder schoolsLaerskool Constantiapark

Laerskool Elarduspark

Laerskool Monumentpark

History

The school formally opened on 9 January 1979 with 12 classrooms and 215 grade 8 and 9 pupils. The original school buildings were completed on 3 August 1979. By the 6th the school hall was complete and used for the first time. The first principal was Mr. H. Davin, hence the footpath to the administrative building was named "Davinweg". There were 11 suggestions for the school name among which "Hoërskool Hoogland", "Hoërskool Pretoria-Oos" and "Hoërskool op die Kruin". However on 13 March 1979 it was named as "Hoërskool Waterkloof", and the school motto, "Ons bou in geloof" (i.e. We build in faith), was formally accepted on 2 July.

In 1980 the first permanent principal was appointed, mr. P. van der Merwe Martins, a member of the Afrikaner Broederbond who was previously a teacher in Volksrust.[3] The school employed 12 teachers and 2 typists at this stage, and the first registered student was Riana Hattingh. When mr. Martins received a promotion in 1988, he was replaced by mr. F. van Dyk as the second principal. Dr. L. C. Becker was principal from 1991 till 2009, when the school lost control over its finances and the board stepped in.[4] On 12 January 2011 mr. Daan G. C. Potgieter was appointed as the fourth principal. The principal since 1 December 2018 is mr. Chris H. Denysschen, formerly principal of Hoërskool Ben Vorster in Tzaneen.[5]

The school anthem was written by prof. S. J. Pretorius and was accepted on 13 May 1979 and the official banner was handed over on 18 September 1979.

On 9 February 1980, the first grass and trees were planted by teachers, parents and pupils. The grandstand was completed in the same year and was named after the first principal, mr. Martins. In May 1994, Waterkloof's hostel "Klofiesig" was opened.

On the cultural front, the English Department made their full-length play "Romeo and Juliet". The first opera "Die Witperdherberg" was staged in 1984. In 1984 the name "Druppels" was given to the new grade 8 learners. The name was proposed by Jurika Brand, a member of the Klofieraad (prefects). In 1985 Waterkloof yielded 15 Northern Transvaal Junior Choir and Orchestra pupils. In 1986, the school choir had their first public concert during the Applous'86 competition.

With the development of the sports grounds, where the B and C rugby fields currently are, they had to be reclaimed because it was a natural pan where waterbirds were found. The first inter-house athletics event took place on 6 March 1979 and participated in the D-bond during the inter-schools athletics event. The first rugby match was played in the same year against Hoërskool Menlopark. Ulinda Gresse scored the first goal for the first hockey team. The first hockey team won their first game against Lyttelton Manor High in 1980. In September 1992, Waterkloof first rugby team won the "Direkteurstrofee" for the first time. In 1995 Waterkloof had won the A-bond interhigh athletics for the tenth consecutive year.

Ballet was offered as a subject from 1997.

2000s

During 2003 local schools received police visits urging pupils to help fight crime. According to the testimony of Christoff Becker, son of Waterkloof's principal, dr. L. Christo Becker, this served as inspiration for two coordinated attacks on loitering black men in Constantia Park and Moreleta Park during the evening of 1 December 2003. Becker and three pupils of the school, the "Waterkloof Four", displayed defiance and arrogance in court and received 12-year prison sentences for assault and murder.[6] A fifth pupil was acquitted for testifying against them.[7]

In 2007 the school reported alleged incidents of sexual misconduct by its pupils to the police. Older boys would have sexually abused younger boys while on a rugby bus tour.[8]

In 2008 the deputy headmaster dr. Louis Dey (45) sued three of the school's pupils for an amount of R600,000 after an incident in 2006 where they circulated a manipulated picture of him and the principal, dr. L. Christo Becker, which depicted them naked and engaged in a seemingly homosexual act.[9] The three teenagers were ordered to pay R45,000 in damages for sending the image to hundreds of pupils via MMS and bluetooth, an amount which Dey described as "shockingly inappropriate".[10]

In 2009, following a forensic audit requested in December 2008, the governing body committee stepped in to manage the school after uncovering alleged financial irregularities spanning the years 2004 to 2008, which ran into millions of rand.[4] The school principal, dr. L. Christo Becker, and his deputy, mr. André D. Eloff, resigned before they could be put on compulsory leave. Some irate parents claimed the money was used to bankroll the protracted legal battle to keep the principal's son Christoff out of prison,[4] while the upmarket lifestyle of his deputy was also singled out.[6] Dr. Becker was replaced by mr. Daan Potgieter.

2010s

Early 2017, a married male teacher who was appointed less than a year earlier had to quit the school after his alleged intimate encounter with a grade ten pupil came to light.[11][12] The incident of 2 February 2017 allegedly occurred in a classroom and was brought to the attention of the governing body by the principal. Its chairman disputed that the act was caught on camera or that it occurred following a "sokkie".[13]

In April 2018 a matric boy of Hoërskool Eldoraigne and his mother visited the school to ask a Waterkloof matric girl to the boy's prom dance. A scuffle ensued between the boy and two staff members outside and inside the headmaster's office. When "urgent" interdicts were obtained against the boy and his mother three months later, the school's office declined to comment.[14]

In early 2019 the hostel was renamed Huis Kloofsig. The hostel also introduced a new "koshuisvader", Cobus van Dyk, who was the forwards coach of the SA Schools Rugby team.

On 11 March 2020 a hacker gained access to the school's Facebook and Instagram accounts and vented anger at conditions at the school, including a supposed drop in pass rate and the behaviour of teachers, pupils and parents.[15] In a press release headmaster Chris H. Deneysschen labelled the breach as a cyber crime,[16] but his deputy, Cobus van Dyk, claimed that the school suffered no damage to its reputation.[17]

Headmasters

The headmasters (as of 2021) were:

  • Mr H. Davin (1979–1980)
  • Mr P. van der Merwe Martins (1980–1988)
  • Mr F. van Dyk (1988–1991)
  • Mr L. Christo Becker (1991–2009)
  • Mr Daan G. C. Potgieter (2011–2018)
  • Mr Chris H. Denysschen (2018–)

Sports

Sports practiced or coached at the school are archery, athletics, chess, cricket, cross country running, equestrian sport, golf, hockey (boys & girls), horse riding, mountain biking, netball (girls), rugby (boys), shooting, softball, squash, swimming, table tennis, tennis, water polo.

Notable alumni

References
  1. "Die duurste Afrikaanse skole is in Pretoria". skole.co.za. Skoleondersteuningsentrum SOS. 14 December 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  2. Ntuli, Chelsea (9 January 2020). "Hoërskool Waterkloof lives up to expectations with 100% pass rate". Pretoria News. iol.co.za. IOL. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  3. Wilkins, Ivor; Strydom, Hans; du Preez, Max (2012). The Super-Afrikaners: Inside the Afrikaner Broederbond. Johannesburg: Jonathan Ball Publishers SA. p. A73. ISBN 978-1-86842-535-8.
  4. Otto, Hanti (16 April 2009). "Waterkloof principal quits". IOL / News / South Africa. iol.co.za. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  5. "Hoërskool Waterkloof verwelkom nuwe skoolhoof". awsumnews.co.za. AWSUM News – Breaking school news in SA. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  6. Davis, Rebecca (25 December 2013). "Waterkloof two back behind bars – where they should have been all along". dailymaverick.co.za. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  7. "Waterkloof 4: Witness 'lying'". news24.com. news24 archive. 8 July 2004. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  8. Rademeyer, Alet (26 April 2007). "Cops to hear of sex-bus scandal". news24.com. News24. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  9. "Teacher sues for pornographic slander". IOL / News / South Africa. Sapa. 11 October 2008. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  10. Venter, Zelda (18 November 2008). "Dey not satisfied with R45 000". IOL / News / South Africa. Sapa.
  11. Otto, Hanti (23 February 2017). "Onnie geskors by spogskool: bedank na sy dade aan die lig kom". Beeld. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  12. van Dyk, Hilda (23 February 2017). "Jong onnie by Pretoriase spogspool bedank ná beweerde voorval met skoolmeisie". Tuis / Nuus. netwerk24.com. Huisgenoot. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  13. Rheeder, Mari (23 February 2017). "'Seksbom' tref spogskool in Pretoria: 'n Mansonderwyser is op kringtelevisie betrap met 'n graad 10-dogter". Pretoria East Record. Local News. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  14. Krige, Elaine (8 July 2018). "Seun aan matriekmeisie by topskool: 'Kom saam. Ek is god'. En toe bars die hel los..." pressreader.com. Rapport. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  15. "hsklofies". instagram. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  16. Deneysschen, Chris H. (11 March 2020). "Persverklaring t.o.v. Kubermisdaad teenoor Hoërskool Waterkloof". facebook.com. Hoërskool Waterkloof. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  17. Janse van Rensburg, Arisa (12 March 2020). "Klofie-kraker wat laster, kan in tronk beland". pressreader.com. Beeld. Retrieved 16 March 2020.


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