Jeppe High School extends legacy overseas
"We want to give the French learners and their teachers a unique South African, Jeppe gold experience in our beautiful city.”
The Jeppe High School family is establishing what it hopes will be a long-lasting relationship with teachers from Oyonnax, France, as it creates the foundations for a student exchange programme.
Jeppe High School for Boys and Jeppe High School for Girls hosted these visiting French teachers on February 19 and 20, respectively.
The headmaster of Jeppe Boys Dale Jackson and the headmistress of Jeppe Girls Sybil Bhagwan welcomed Cedric Roubin the deputy headmaster of Lycee St Joseph, Sylvain Laulagnet headmaster of Lycee St Joseph, and Marion Guillermin, head of the English department at College Ampère.
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Public relations officer and marketer for Jeppe High School for Girls Lesley-Ann Muller explained the idea of the exchange programme stemmed from Jeppe Boys’ head of admissions, Ronald White.
“White extended the invitation to include the girl’s school, although rugby had a long-standing relationship with Lycee St Joseph school,” said Muller.
Oyonnax is a small community with a population of about 20 000 in the eastern region of France.
It is known as Plastics Valley for its prominence in the plastics industry.
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Oyonnax boasts its own rugby union team, Oyonnax Rugby, which plays in the French Top 14 League.
Muller said the purpose of the visit was for the French teachers to engage with the various departments in the school in the hope of starting an exchange programme between Jeppe Boys and Jeppe Girls and Lycee St Joseph.
The purpose of the programme was to immerse the French learners in South African culture, traditions and experiences.
Muller said the French contingent used the exchange period to uplift those most in need in the community.
“The entire experience aims to teach their learners how different cultures and communities can co-exist and work together to create a stronger society.”
During the tour, Jeppe Girls told the French delegation the school had been knitting and crocheting blankets for the homeless and vulnerable in the Kensington community for decades.
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“We challenged the Lycee St Joseph delegates to go back and learn how to crochet and bring blankets back with them to donate to a charity of their choice next year when the exchange programme is envisaged to take place.”
The French teachhool has student exchanges with schools in Germany, Poland, and Palestine.
She said both Jeppe schools are excited about this cross-cultural exchange programme for 2025.
The schools hope this programme will be long-lasting and continue to grow while benefiting the learners each year.
“We are certain our Jeppe Girls and Boys and their families will immerse themselves in the experience and be enriched by it.
“Similarly, we want to give the French learners and their teachers a unique South African and Jeppe gold expeers spent time at both schools visiting classes, sitting in on lessons and exchanging and engaging with the various departments of the school.
Muller said the group met with the Jeppe Girls’ music department, drama and cultural heads, history, art and design and the sports division.
Currently, the scrience in our beautiful city,” said Muller.
