Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High – Where excellence rules

Representing excellence in education for girls since 1920, the school’s mission continues to be to form young women of character who have questioning minds and confidence in their abilities.

The educational ethos at Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High School is probably closest to the sentiment expressed by the great Martin Luther King Jr.

He said: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

That is the school’s goal.

What is offered and taught in the classroom, on the sports field, through music and cultural interaction – through success and failure – is what sparks intelligence and wisdom that build true character.

Representing excellence in education for girls since 1920, the school’s mission continues to be to form young women of character who have questioning minds and confidence in their abilities.

The influence they can have on those with whom they will work or study should be significant.

To achieve this, it is essential to develop partnerships and to know that trust exists between the partners.

In the context of a school, the partners are the child, the parent and the school, represented by the individual teacher or leader in the specific sphere of interaction.

The child is obviously the main partner as education must be child-centred. Children have not changed over time; they still have the same dreams and fears.

There are children who always toe the line in all that they do; others, whose hearts are good, always need a strong rein to keep them in check; and then there have always been those who believe the world is against them, and they need to be nurtured differently.

Over the many decades, parents have entrusted Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High with their daughters – a team of highly qualified academic professionals who support, celebrate and encourage each child through success and failure alike – watching them emerge as confident young women, ready to take on the next phase in their lives.

As a leading school for girls, both academically and extramurally, Pietermaritzburg Girls’ High offers learners the opportunity of experiencing its indomitable ethos of “Cheerfulness with Industry”.

Its vision is to uphold the values of honesty and integrity at all times and to promote excellence so the school remains at the forefront of girls’ education, providing pupils with skills to deal with the demands of an inclusive and democratic society.

The vision includes empowering pupils to be productive global citizens who can serve others and have a positive influence on the future.