John Mackenzie School

John Mackenzie School
Location
Francistown, North-East District, Botswana
Information
School type Day Scholar
Motto The Best I Can
Established 1899
Grades Transition (Standard 0) to A-Levels
Education system Independent
Medium of language English
Accreditation Cambridge International Examinations
Website jms.ac.bw

John Mackenzie School is a historic private school situated in Francistown, Botswana. It caters for the education of boys and girls from Transition (Standard 0) to A-Levels in a multi-cultural, interdenominational environment. John Mackenzie is Francistown's first English medium educational institution for primary and secondary education. A Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Accredited Institution, JMS is highly regarded as the school of choice in Northern Botswana and the country at large, and as a gateway to the best local and international institutions of higher education.[1]

History

A photograph of the original school premises in the church hall of what is now St. Patrick's Anglican Church, Francistown.

The school was founded as the Francistown European School in 1899 by Reverend Nelson Fogarty (1871-1933) of the Railway Mission out of his anxiety to start schools in Plumtree, Francistown and Palapye. He envisaged about 12 children at each station, and considered it "terrible to think that there are about 120 children on the railway line growing up without any education whatsoever". His wish for a teacher was realised with the arrival of Mr. Edgar Lloyd from the U.K. in 1899. Mr. Lloyd started his school in the church hall, later to become St. Patrick's Anglican Church, on August 16th, 1899 with two children. By September 28th, the number had increased to twelve.

Mr. Lloyd moved on to Plumtree in 1902 to found the now very famous school there. The school in Francistown was taken over by Reverend Hallward whose comment in March 1902 was that "the remnants of a school, which used to number twenty children, are collected whenever I am here; there are only eight now because so many people have left in these bad times". This was probably a reference to the aftermath of the Boer War and the weak state of the gold mining industry upon which Francistown then depended. A new teacher, Miss MacDonald, commenced work in November 1902 with a class of eight children aged from 6 to 13. The Mission Report of 1903 noted that it was the only white school in the Protectorate and that when the mines were working fully had about 25 children. By 1906 the school had dwindled again and was forced to close down sometime between 1906 and 1909. On the 1st of October, 1909, Reverend Toy re-opened the school after a closure of unknown length and an appeal for a grant of 100 pounds was made to the Assistant Commissioner of Francistown "to keep going after March 1910 a school with an enrollment of 15 children and 5 more expected". At long last a grant was given, the first after many appeals since 1899, and in 1914 the Tati Company gave a stand for the erection of a proper school building. The Bechuanaland Administration listened to appeals for a proper school building and in September 1916 the Inspection Report reads: "The school is held in a new building which is excellently lighted and ventilated and which makes a most comfortable room for school purposes. The enrolment is 15 children." This building was on the site of the present school hall.

The school operated under difficulties from 1917 to 1924, particularly due to the post-war depression and by 1921 closure was again contemplated. In 1921 the white population of Francistown was approximately 60 in the town with several miners working "outside" the town at the Monarch, Prospect and Lady Mary Mines. Finances were on a pound for pound system with the Administration, and as fees brought in only 30 pounds, the situation was bad. However, by 1924 'grant-in-aid' was back and 150 pounds was given. This amount gradually increased to 330 pounds by 1940, and in 1942 the school became a government-aided school'. The finance then became the responsibility of the Bechuanaland Administration and this continued until Independence in 1966. Then the school was handed over to the Francistown Town Council. Great difficulties in staffing and supplies at all English-medium schools in Botswana then led Government in 1970 to hand these schools over to the direct control of the Ministry of Education. The school continued to persevere through great trial and adversities such as the fluctuating fortunes of the gold mines and the unsettling war in neighbouring Rhodesia. British Aid, particularly OSAS teachers, then helped until 1981 when, in conformity with Government wishes, the school became private. This period can be described as the birth of modern-day JMS.

Houses

The present-day house system at John Mackenzie is named after the rivers that flow through the city of Francistown.

Awards

As a testament to the outstanding academic standing of John Mackenzie, the high school has received several prestigious Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) 'Top in the World' awards.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Ngakane, Gale. "Will John MacKenzie move?". Mmegi online. Retrieved 23 October 2014.

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, February 21, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.