Background
Link Community Development set up the link between Berkhamsted Collegiate School and Sandi Senior Secondary School in August 2004.
- There are four aspects to the friendship:
- Visits to and from England and South Africa.
- Curriculum Initiatives.
- Special Projects.
- Communication by letters, cards and where possible by telephone and e-mail.
The friendship between the two schools has grown over the past three years through the exchange of information, cards and photos. The Chaplain of Berkhamsted Collegiate School and Mr. Bongie Peyana, the Principal of Sandi, have been in touch with each other by phone and e-mail.
In 2005 the Principal of the Collegiate School visited Sandi and at the end of the summer term in 2006 Mr. Peyana, spent a week in Berkhamsted. The Chaplain visited Sandi in August 2006 and a group of ten Y12 pupils accompanied by The Chaplain (Revd. Stephen Golding), Mrs. Marion Golding and Miss Helen-Claire Burt, visited South Africa between 29th July and 10th August 2007.
Sandi Senior Secondary School was established in 1995 and is a co-educational, rural school in the Ngqeleni District of the Eastern Cape. The nearest town is Umtata. The school has recently been connected to the electricity grid.
There are about 800 learners aged 15-25 and 14 educators. The home language of the learners is IsiXhosa. Lessons are conducted in English. A small number of pupils rent accommodation near to the school as their homes are too far away for them to travel each day.
The school is a centre of excellence for Mathematics, Science and Technology.