Beaconhurst School (East London)

Beaconhurst School in Beacon Bay, East London, sitting there with 831 kids and 51 teachers like that's a normal situation. That ratio of 16.3 kids per teacher means your teacher is basically a taxi driver, just picking up passengers until the kombi is full and then dealing with all of you at once. Jy weet hoe is dit. You raise your hand to ask a question and by the time they get to you, you have already failed the test, moved on with your life, and started a small business. And listen, it is a public school, a combined school, in Beacon Bay of all places. Combined school means they could not decide what phase they wanted to be, so they just said "ja, everything, bring them all, from grade R to matric, why not, we have one photocopier and a dream." Beacon Bay is already the kind of suburb where the Spur is a fine dining experience, and the school is out here trying to hold it together with 831 learners and what we can only assume is a very tired staff room. BUT. And this is a big but. 96.2% matric pass rate. In the Eastern Cape. Where load shedding hits harder than anywhere else and the WCED is not even your problem but Umalusi still finds a way to stress you out. That number is actually proper impressive and nobody can take that away from them. Overall verdict: Overcrowded, a little chaotic, probably smells like tuck shop vetkoek and determination, but they are genuinely getting it done.