Renowned education Professor Jonathan Jansen paid a visit to non-profit school Christel House South Africa in Ottery recently to learn first-hand how the school works towards breaking the cycle of poverty.
With a mission to break the cycle of poverty, the school works to empower their students to reach their economic potential through character-based and career-focused education.
As a staunch believer in transformative education himself, Jansen, a Professor at Stellenbosch University, applauded Christel House’s education model which picks for poverty over talent.
“Understand Christel House, and you have the keys to solving our national school crisis,” Jansen posted on his personal Facebook page after the visit.
Jansen has also offered to return to the charity school to work closely with the Grade 7 girls on developing their journalistic talent.
Professor Jansen was impressed at how Christel House admits students from Cape Town’s most impoverished communities and gives them an opportunity to rise above their circumstances.
Jansen is the perfect embodiment of a success story. As the many students enrolled at Christel House, Professor Jansen came from the Cape Flats.
Jansen encouraged the students to believe in themselves, to respect themselves and praised, in particular, the school’s remarkable grade 12 academic achievements.
“If anyone tells you that you cannot do Maths, bring me their number,” he told the students to roaring applause.
Despite their challenging socio-economic circumstances, Christel House students go on to achieve exceptional results, outstripping their peers by 400% in Mathematics and English and attaining a 100% matric pass rate since inception.
The school has matric subject averages of 80% and higher and is ranked 8th in the Western Cape for Economics. 96% of Christel House graduates continue to study, are gainfully employed or both.
Donate to Christel House:
Christel House is a registered non-profit organisation and a 100% of all donations benefit Christel House’s projects and programs. All South African donors are eligible to receive a tax-deductible 18A certificate and companies can receive B-BBEE points for their contributions as a 100% of Christel House’s beneficiaries are Black. To donate to Christel House, visit https://sa.christelhouse.org/donate
