1. On 17 April 2008 it was exactly 350 years since the first formal school was established at the Cape. In 1658, a small school was started at the Slave Lodge for the slaves of the DEIC and their children. For some years, slaves' children were therefore the best formally educated children in the Colony!
2. Many years later, in 1839, the Western Cape Education Department was established as the Department of Public Education of the Colony of the Cape of Good Hope. In pre-Apartheid days, it looked after the interests of all schools: black, white, coloured and special.
3. Our schools have a proud history of education service to their communities and many of them have already celebrated their 100th or 75th anniversaries.
4. The Education Museum at the Centre for Conservation Education in Wynberg is interested in the histories of all schools. As far as possible, these individual histories are filed and made available to researchers. Many schools are, however, not represented, through no fault of the Museum. In an attempt to rectify this, the Museum now wishes to make a concerted effort to collect the written histories of all the many schools in the Western Cape, starting with the oldest.
5. In the case of schools of 75 years old or older (i.e. founded in or before 1934), the attached Survey Form (Annexure A) must please be completed and returned to:

Ms Sigi Howes (Head)
Education Museum
Centre for Conservation Education
9 Aliwal Road
Wynberg
7800


6. A copy of the written history of the school, a photograph of the school, the school song, the school motto and a cloth badge from the blazer should be attached if available. This will provide a good foundation for the Museum's archival files on individual schools. Any other material is welcome, but optional.
7. This information will also assist the Education Museum in drawing up a database of the oldest schools in the Western Cape, a resource which will facilitate future research on schools.
8. Schools where the history has never been written up, must please indicate this on the questionnaire. Such schools can receive assistance (on request) on how to keep a basic record of their history.
9. It is envisaged that eventually all schools established after 1934 will be included.
10. In the interim, see Annexures B and C on our Schools' Heritage Competition, where schools can win prizes for writing up their history. The competition is open to all schools where the history has not previously been written up and/or published, and will be held on an annual basis.
11. Advance notice of this minute appeared in the Centre's quarterly newsletters EnviroNews 1/2008, 2/2008, 1/2009 and on the e-Schools' mailing list. Schools which responded to those articles and have already completed the Survey Form (Attachment A) do not need to do so again. Their interest and cooperation is greatly appreciated.


SIGNED: LJ ROSE
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2009:03:31

Annexure A: Survey of the Western Cape’s oldest schools  (size: 15 KB)
Annexure B: Every School Counts - Schools’ Heritage Competition 2009  (size: 67 KB)
Annexure C: Entry Form for Schools’ Heritage Competition  (size: 15 KB)