Review Detail

Being a 1960 matriculant and thereafter a Rhodes scholar[M.A (clinical psychology) M.A. (Industrial Psychology, D.Litt et Phil, PhD and DD], one of my claims of pride has always been that I am a product of KHS. When I attended KHS after my father [Theunis Johannes de Villiers, Dux stdent in 1933 for the whole of South Africa with 8 out of 9 subject achieving in excess of 90% in the final examination] and his half brother Dawid Johannes de Villiers who passed Cum laude 18 years later], KHS was considered one of the three best schools in South Africa toigether with maritz Brothers and Bishops in the cape.

Consequently I regularly visit the school when passing through Kimberley. Albeit that I did notice a decline over the recent years, this last weekend visit when I took American and European fiends to see "my school" put me in a state of shock and total dismay. Not only did the substantial deterioration of the building with peeling paint on walls and windows woodwork, sunburnt front doors etc, and the unkempt grounds fill me with shock, dismay and disgust, it also made me ashamed.The emotions that boiled culminated in a tremendous anger.

How dare the present principal and governming body allow this to happen; how dare they abuse the trust placed in them regarding a national treasure and part of my heritage. Please do not try to pass the buck by hiding behind lack of funds from the Department of Education, because the School next door [Diamantveld] has bloome and clarly propered in the same environment of educational incompetence.

In my opinion this school is par excellance an example of neglect and incompetence, and the employment of people who have no regard whatsoever for the institutions taht made South Africa great. I intend to pursue this matter with the Department of Education even as far as the Minister of Education.

Yours sincerely

D de Villiers