The government school in South Africa that produces better results than most top private schools

While there is a perception among parents that sending their child to a private school will provide them with a superior education, many public schools are putting this theory into doubt.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark is one of these secondary education institutions, with its number of distinctions per learner surpassing that of several top-performing private schools in the 2024 school year.

The school has also been recognised by the University of Pretoria as the top feeder school for the tertiary institution, out of 150 candidates.

Situated in Menlopark, Pretoria, Die Hoërskool Menlopark finished the 2024 academic year with 768 distinctions, including AP Maths, across its 322 matriculants.

Hoërskool Waterkloof, also based in Pretoria and ranked the number one public school following the 2024 school year, received 811 distinctions.

However, it had 49 more learners write the final matric exams than Menlopark, which means that its number of distinctions per learner was lower at 2.1.

On the other hand, Menlopark achieved an average of 2.4 distinctions per learner who wrote the exams, making it the highest among any public school in the country.

This is more than several private schools, according to a BusinessTech report, which ranked the top-performing private schools based on the number of distinctions per candidate in 2024.

While there were a number that featured above 3.5 distinctions per learner, with SAHETI in Johannesburg achieving as many as 4.5, there were several on the top-ten lists that achieved less than 2.4.

These were all on the boys’ schools list, and included St Benedict’s College (2.33), St Alban’s College (2.3), Clifton School (2.2), Kearsney College (2.2), and St Andrew’s College (1.9).

The tenth institution on the girls’ school list was Durban Girls’ College, with 3.2, and the tenth on the co-ed list was Cornwall Hill College and Thomas More College, both with 2.96 distinctions per candidate.

Die Hoërskool Menlopark also achieved several notable academic milestones in 2024, including 85 learners with an A average, a grade average of 72%, and a pass rate of 96.9%.

Founded in 1963

Die Menloparkse Hoërskool was established in 1963, following the completion of the first school building and the subsequent availability of twelve classrooms for use in late January.

Classes began soon afterwards with 372 learners across grades eight, nine, and ten. It wasn’t until November that the first governing board was elected.

The school introduced its own uniform in 1964 with navy blue selected as the dominant colour, representing the “purity of the learners’ ideals.”

However, the school did not yet have a school song two years into its existence, with it reaching out to parents to submit ideas for a song in 1965.

It eventually selected a piece by Mr JJ Botha, who wrote the lyrics, and Dr OA van der Stoep, who wrote the music. The song’s title was “Hou hoog die vanandel wit en blou.”

This was also the same year that Die Hoërskool Menlopark’s first matric class graduated, having entered the school in grade ten when it was established.

The construction of its Olympic-standard swimming pool was completed in 1972, and it officially changed its name to Die Hoërskool Menlopark in 1974.

Being a co-educational school, it offers a wide variety of sporting activities, including netball, rugby, cricket, hockey, tennis, athletics, and chess.

The school has produced several notable sporting alumni, including Protea cricketers Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen.

However, its alumni are not only known for their sporting abilities, with FirstRand Group co-founder Laurie Dippenaar and former Eskom and Nampak CEO André de Ruyter having matriculated from the school.

South African musician Koos Kombuis, author Marita van der Vyver, and actress Jana Cilliers also attended the school.

More photos of Die Hoërskool Menlopark