Queen’s College blueprint to turnaround education in the heart of the Eastern Cape – Headmaster Janse van der Ryst

South Africa’s education system faces significant challenges, with Grade 5 pupils ranking last globally in mathematics and science, and an alarming 81% of children unable to read for meaning by age 10. Yet, Queen’s College Boys’ High School in Komani, where 94% of students are Xhosa-speaking, defies the odds in a province that lags behind its neighbour, the Western Cape. In an interview with BizNews, Headmaster Janse van der Ryst attributed the success of Queen’s College to six pillars: daily excellence, upholding identity, active participation—where no one is allowed to sit out and everyone attends sports matches until the final whistle—mutual support, community service, and solution-finding. Van der Ryst, a former Boland cricketer, believes this blueprint could be replicated to improve education in the Eastern Cape and other rural areas, such as the Transkei.

Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here.

Support South Africa’s bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.

If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

Watch here

Listen here