The History of
the
St Andrew's Schools in Blantyre,
Nyasaland/Malawi
Edited by - Ian
“Witty”
Whitfield
(Second
Edition 2008/09)
With acknowledgments to :-
Stuart Notholt, F.G. Brownell, SAVA
Journal 3/94 [brl94]).
Bruce Berry, A. Marshall, Susan Halpin (Eccles) and Micheal
Eccles, Pauline Labuschagne (Owen), Barbara
Hinkel (Rowe-Roberts).
and St. Andrew's International High School
(for all the copies of "The Fisherman" sent to us.)
Including sections from the St Andrew's
1958-2008 ....50 Years On A Short History
of St Andrew's School by Joe Percival
Foreword to Second Edition
(2009)
After the successful
issue of the First Edition of
this History Booklet, at the
South African 2007 50th Reunion
Celebration of the Start of Senior Classes at Saint Andrew's -
What we consider as the 'true' start of the High School - when all
those attending, and others who ordered some of the special memorabilia
that was produced, were given a copy, many letters were received
covering various changes, corrections and omissions. My thanks go to
all those who sent in these items. As well as this additional
information has come to hand and other facts discovered. All this new
information has been incorporated into this Second Edition.
The History Booklet will
continue to be a "living document" and additions will be made as we go
along in an effort to make it as accurate as possible.
Copies were also sent
to the Society of Malawi and,
after receiving requests from Malawi, to both the High School and the Preparatory School.
I'm very pleased to mention that this booklet was used as a basis for
the High School's own History Booklet
produced for their 50th
Celebration in June 2008!! I was approached by The Headmaster - Mr Gordon BENBOW
- for a copy to act as a foundation for their
Booklet. This was used by Mr Joe
PERCIVAL with success and added lots more later
information to the record.
Just a point of clarification. As mentioned above, the Federal Saints
consider the true
start of the High School to be January 28th 1957 as this is when the
first Senior Classes were
started at Nyambadwe. The School itself considers its
Birthday to be in 1958 - the first year of the School actually being
named as a "High" School. All
parties except each others interpretations on this matter and it is
rather a moot point in fact.
While attending their Celebrations as their invited guest, I
was given a copy, parts of which have been incorporate into this Second
Edition of the History Booklet.
Ian
“Witty” Whitfield
Editor of “The
Federal Saints Journal”
Pretoria May 2009
This booklet is an attempt at pulling
together all the known facts and
articles dealing with, or related to, the history of our School. It
will be a "living document" and will be updated on a regular basis as
more information comes to hand.
It has
been put together with the assistance of "The Federal Saints" – the group of
past pupils and staff of the school from the Federal Period
(1953–1964), and it was done to mark the occasion of the 50th
Anniversary Reunion of the start of Senior Classes at St Andrew’s on
28th January 1957.
A
Reunion took place in Johannesburg, South Africa, on January
27th/28th 2007, 50 years exactly from the start of these classes. All
attending Saints at the Reunion were presented with a copy of this
History. This therefore is the First Edition of the booklet. Any new
information, additions, corrections or omissions will be greatly
appreciated.
It is
worth noting that the author of the early School history article,
Mr Adam Marshal, had a Daughter, Marion, who later
married and became Mrs. AILLING, and who taught Maths
at St Andrew's from 1961-1962.
It has
been a great pleasure to research and put this booklet together
and to be able to present it to all the attending Saints at the
Reunion! I hope you will find it of interest and will wish to retain it
as a memento of ‘our’ great School which carries on in the tradition we
started!!
(The
same format as used in the monthly Newsletter is
followed in this booklet. The names of all Saints’ pupils are shown in bold
print, while staff members are also shown in BOLD
with their surnames in UPPERCASE).
Ian “Witty” Whitfield
Editor
of “The Federal Saints Newsletter”
Dec 2006
Pretoria
South Africa
P.O.
Box 72226, Lynnwood Ridge
0040
The High School after Federation Pre-Federal
Headmistresses/Headmasters
Federal Headmasters Later Headmasters School Magazines School Songs School Houses School Promotional Pamphlet
(Sections
to be added later)
St.
Andrew's Time Line
1920s/30s -
Small private Schools
run in Blantyre, Limbe and Zomba.
1930
- Nyasaland Government
requested the Church of Scotland Mission to consider exchanging an area
of land "for the purpose of erecting a school". But this was
abandoned.
1932
- Mr. Richard Paterson,
Headmaster of the Henry Henderson Institute in the Church of Scotland
Mission in Blantyre, appealed to the Mission Council to consider that
........ "Today the problem of education of European children
gives the country some concern".
1933
- Committee formed to
"investigate and report" on the above. But no progress made as
Government finance was not forthcoming.
1935
- New Committee set up, (as
Rev. Wratten's private school would soon close). It managed to persuade
Government to take a real and practical interest in the opening of a
school in Blantyre.
1937
- Agreement signed between
the Church of Scotland Mission and the Nyasaland Government for the
establishment, in Blantyre, of a Primary School for European children.
The Government advanced, (on loan), the sum of £2,500 and The Church of
Scotland Mission agreed to give the use of the land, and build the
school.
1938
- Building commenced. “St.
Andrew’s” selected as the name of the new School. In May the first 14
pupils were enrolled.
1939
- School building completed.
Opening Ceremony performed, on the 1st February, by Mr. John C.
Abraham, the Provincial Commissioner.
1940
- Government agreed to a
measure of financial aid in order to open a Hostel.
1947
- (April) School taken over
from the Scottish Mission by the Nyasaland Government.
1953
- The Federation of Rhodesia
and Nyasaland established on August 1. School control ceded to the
Federal Government.
1955
- Plans drawn-up for new
school at Nyambadwe - construction started.
1956
- Std 4 & 5 Junior
School pupils moved to new "Junior" classrooms at Nyambadwe. KG to Std
3 remained at the old Mission School. In September construction of
lower sports field and Science wing started.
1957
- Senior
Classes
started. (Monday January 28th). Building of the new Junior
School started in Sunnyside.
(Accepted as the true start of the Senior School by The Federal Saints)
1958
– St. Andrew's School split
into 3 entities and each renamed.
"St.
Andrew's KG"
and "St. Andrew's Preparatory" at Sunnyside,
and "St. Andrew's High" at Nyambadwe. (SAHS)
(Accepted as the
Start of the School by the School today)
1959
- (11th July) - Official
Opening of St. Andrew's Preparatory School in Sunnyside.
High
School Swimming Pool built.
1963
- The Federation officially
collapsed on 31 December 1963 when N. Rhodesia became Zambia. Both S.
Rhodesia and Nyasaland reverted to their former names and became "Self
Governing". Nyasaland under Prime Minister Dr Hastings "Kamuzu" Banda.
1964 -
(5th July) Last day of the "Federal
Period" for the School.
1964
- (6th July) - Independence.
Country renamed Malawi. School control ceded to the new Government.
1965
- Name of School changed to "St.
Andrew's Secondary School" (SASS) after Government threatened
to close it down.
1966
- (6th July) - Malawi became
a Republic.
1977
- Made a Government School
under the auspices of the 'Designated School’s Board'. School crest
changed.
1977
to 1980 - Large building
program. The number of School buildings doubled.
1981
- School becomes an
independently financed "International School", under the "Council for
International Schools".
Name
changed to "St. Andrew's International High School"
(SAintS)
1989
- Alternative 6th Form
'Business Studies Course' started.
Also
School uniform changed - Blazers discontinued!
1996
- The 'Owen Room', (named
after Bill OWEN), which had been used as an Audio
Visual Aids room was converted, by Headmaster John TAYLOR,
into the School's first Information Technology Room.
1997
- Satellite TV installed at
the School.
1998
- School celebrates the 40th
Anniversary of the change of the name of the School to "High"
School, and 60 years since being founded.
2001
- (1st May), Guinness World
Record set for the Longest non-stop Lesson. 25 hours of PE and History.
2005
- "The Federal Saints"
formed by Ian "Witty" Whitfield in Pretoria South
Africa. Bringing together all ex-Saints, (pupils and staff), from the
Federal period and publishing a monthly Newsletter.
2007
- (Jan 27th/28th) - Federal
Saints in South Africa and Australia celebrate the 50th Anniversary of
the start of Senior Classes.
2008
- The School celebrates it's
Official 50th Birthday with a special function on June 28th/29th.
2009 - The Federal Saints
Newsletter re-named The Federal Saints
Journal - being distributed to Saints in over 40 countries round
the World.
No history of the school could be complete without
covering some early history of Nyasaland and in particular the Scottish
Mission itself – from which sprung the original school in 1938.
Therefore a short history of the Country and the Scottish Mission is
included here as well as details of the various flags that have flown
at the School over the years.
---------------------
The territory was
defined as 'British
Central Africa' in 1890 when the first explorers arrived. They were
told by the local inhabitants that
the big lake was called 'Nyasa'. So the Lake was christened "Lake
Nyasa" - which literally means 'Lake Lake'. 'Malawi', incidentally,
means 'flaming waters' - an allusion to the reflections of the setting
sun on Lake Nyasa. Ironically, it is only possible to observe, to best
advantage, this phenomenon from the Mozambique side of the Lake! This
symbolism appears on the Malawi flag, which features a red sun.)
Stuart
Notholt, 22 Nov 1995
A
British Protectorate was declared over the 'Nyasaland Districts', on
15 May 1891, and in 1893 the territory was renamed the 'British Central
Africa Protectorate'. Later, by a Nyasaland Order in Council, dated 6
July 1907, the name of the territory was changed yet again, this time
to the 'Nyasaland Protectorate' and Legislative and Executive Councils
were established and a Governor was appointed in the place of the
former Commissioner.
On 11
May 1914 a formal grant of arms to Nyasaland was made. This
comprised a Leopard with a rising sun reflected against a black
background. Following this grant of Arms, a new flag bearing the
leopard and sun was adopted as the flag of the territory. The Nyasaland
Blue Ensign contained the arms in the fly, (without roundel), and was
used until 23 October 1953.
Nyasaland
Flag
Federation
The
idea of a Federation, (or amalgamation as it was then called),
between the British territories in Central Africa was first mooted
after World War I, but it was only after World War II that the idea was
pursued more vigorously. Arguments in favour of Federation were led by
the Europeans in Southern Rhodesia on the premise of forming a large
and powerful economic unit in Central Africa. At a time when African
Nationalism was beginning to emerge on the continent, many Africans,
especially in the two protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland,
were opposed to the idea as they felt that they would become
subservient to the more economically powerful European dominated colony
of Southern Rhodesia. Nevertheless after a number of prolonged
negotiations and intensive consultations between the Governments of the
respective territories, and that in the United Kingdom, the "Federation
of Rhodesia and Nyasaland", (also known as the "Central African
Federation"), came into existence on the 7 September 1953. Its full
Constitution came into full operation on 23 October 1953.
The
Federation was one of the most complicated systems of government
ever established. Five different Governments had overlapping and
interlocking responsibilities for its affairs. There was the British
Government in London, theoretically united but divided for all
practical purposes into two by no means friendly departments - the
Commonwealth Office, (which dealt with the Federal and Southern
Rhodesian Governments through separate sets of High Commissioners in
Salisbury and London), and the Colonial Office, (which dealt with the
two protectorates of Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland through their
respective Governors who possessed very wide powers). There was also
the Governor-General of the Federation and Governor of Southern
Rhodesia, both of whom, unlike their Northern counterparts, were
‘Constitutional Monarchs’ acting on the advice of their Prime
Ministers.
The
flag of the Federation was a British blue ensign with the shield
from the Federation coat of arms, (granted by Royal Warrant on 22 July
1954), in the fly, namely:
"Per
fess Azure and Sable in Chief a Sun rising Or
and in base six palets wavy Argent overall a fesse dovetailed counter-
dovetailed of the last thereon a Lion passant Gules".
The
Federal Flag
The
shield was an amalgam of those of the participating territories.
The rising sun in gold came from the shield of Nyasaland, the red lion
from that of Southern Rhodesia and the six vertical black and white
wavy 'pallets' representing the Victoria Falls came from that of
Northern Rhodesia.
Coat
of Arms of the Federation
The
Arms of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland were designed by
M. J. Morris, (later Information Attaché to the Federal High Commission
in Pretoria), and were granted by Royal Warrant on 22 July 1954. The
blazon is as follows:
Arms:Per fesse Azure and Sable in
Chief a Sun rising Or and in base six Palets wavy Argent over all a
fesse dovetailed counter-dovetailed of the last thereon a Lion passant
Gules.
Crest:On a wreath of the colours,
an Eagle reguardant wings extended Or perched upon and grasping in the
talons a Fish Argent.
Supporters:Dexter a Sable Antelope
and sinister a Leopard.
Motto:"Magni Esse Mereamur”
(Source:
The Union Jack over Southern and Central
Africa 1795-1994, by F.G. Brownell, SAVA Journal 3/94 [brl94]). Bruce
Berry, 13 Apr 1997)
Despite
its economic advantages and potential, the Federation was
plagued with political differences amongst its participating member
territories.
Following
a Royal Commission in 1960, the Federation was dissolved on
31 December 1963 with each participating state once again becoming
single political entities. On 6 July 1964 Nyasaland became the fully
Independent State of Malawi within the British Commonwealth and adopted
a new flag without any colonial connotations. On the second anniversary
of Independence, Malawi became a Republic, but remaining a member of
the Commonwealth. Bruce
Berry, 24 Nov 1995
Republic of Malawi
The
Malawi Flag
The
Malawi National Flag was adopted at Independence on 6 July 1964 and
is described and illustrated in the Protected Flag, Emblems and Names
Act (1964) - First Schedule, Part I:
Description:From the top of the
Flag to the bottom thereof, three equal horizontal stripes of black,
red and green with a red rising sun superimposed in the centre of the
black stripe.
Ratio
Length to breadth:Three to
two.
Significance:Black represents the
people of the Continent of Africa. The Rising Sun represents the dawn
of hope and freedom for the whole Continent of Africa. Red represents
the blood of the martyrs of African freedom. Green represents the
evergreen nature of Malawi. Bruce
Berry, 5 Jan 1999
Church of Scotland
Mission
23rd OCTOBER 1876 - 23rd
OCTOBER 1956
(Unknown Author)
INFLUENCE
OF DAVID
LIVINGSTONE: To understand the
real beginnings of the Church of Scotland Mission in Blantyre, (and of
Blantyre town, which sprang from the mission), you need to begin with
that famous Scotsman, David Livingstone. You must see him in those
heroic journeys which took him across Africa. You have to think of his
indignation at the slave trade, of his longing to end it by bringing
the Christian Gospel and wholesome trade in its place, and of his hope
that the Shire Highlands might become a white settlement.
You have to remember also how his death
stirred feelings all over the
world—this lonely man dying on his knees, whose heart was buried at
Chitambo in Northern Rhodesia, (beneath a tree from which the lectern
on the Communion table in Blantyre Church is made), and whose body was
carried by faithful African followers to the coast so that it might be
brought home to be buried in Westminster Abbey.
THE FOLLOW-UP: If you see these
things first, then
you come to understand how there were Christian people who wanted to
follow up the work that David Livingstone had done alone. Expeditions
were launched to enter the country that Livingstone had explored — the
Universities Mission to Central Africa, the Free Church of Scotland
Mission (Livingstonia) and the Established Church of Scotland Mission
(Blantyre).
HENRY HENDERSON: Then you have to
think of Henry
Henderson, an Australian rancher, searching through many miles of
country before he found a suitable place, and at last camping only a
short distance from St. Andrew's School, at a spot which is marked by a
stone Cairn in the Mission grounds.
Cathedral and stone Cairn
GROWTH: That was the beginning. That
was eighty
years ago. From that beginning, much followed. The Mission was the
pioneer in many things in Nyasaland and was responsible for the first
printing-press, for growing the first Tea and the first Coffee, and for
constructing the first road through Blantyre from the Lower to the
Upper River. And in the centre of the Mission rose the first Church of
its kind in Central Africa, planned and built by the Rev. David Clement
Scott, the head of the Mission at that time, although himself no
qualified Builder, and with no skilled labour to help him.
The Mission spread outwards, and other
Mission Stations were
established at Mlanje, Zomba, and Domasi. Schools and Hospitals,
printing, farming, gardening, carpentry—all were undertaken as part of
the Mission, and all helped to provide for the Missionaries' needs and
for the training of the Africans.
THE COST: But since the Mission was
there before
there was any general settlement of Europeans, and before there was a
railway to bring supplies, and before there were modern drugs to combat
disease, the early Missionaries had many set-backs. There were Tribal
Wars and disturbances amongst the Africans; there was illness and death
amongst the Europeans. At one time it looked as though the Mission
would close down, but it was able to carry on.
TODAY: So through the work of these
various
Missionaries, Doctors, Teachers, Printers, Carpenters, Ministers, and
Lady Workers, and later through the Africans who became Christians, the
teaching of Christianity was made known and the African Church grew. In
the Southern Province, in the Blantyre Synod of the Church of Central
Africa Presbyterian, there are no less than 72 congregations, and many
more places of worship, and a church membership of over 50,000.
God has seen to it that the prayers and the
work of those who were
concerned for Nyasaland, were not in vain.
In the early days,
children of the European population of Nyasaland were generally sent
out of the country for their education. For their preliminary education
before being sent "home" children sometimes attended Mission Schools.
The Church of Scotland Mission in Blantyre provided some facilities
under members of their staff such as Miss B. L. Low and Miss Bentley.
Also, at different times various ladies in the country ran Private
Schools, such as Miss Hayter in Blantyre. With the increase in the
population after World War I, the provision of education became more of
a problem.
The Dutch
Reformed Church School at Mkhoma in the Central Province and
the Convent School in Limbe were foremost in their contribution
to the education of European children, while there were also Private
Schools such as Mrs. Daily's school in Zomba.
In 1925 a
small Private School was established in Blantyre by a Church
of England Clergyman, the Rev. W. W. Wratten, together with his wife.
This school was maintained until about 1938, but around the early
thirties there was a need for some body such as the Government or the
Municipality to take steps to provide a School in the Blantyre area.
In 1930 the
Government apparently had the matter in mind as it had
requested the Church of Scotland Mission, Blantyre, to consider
exchanging an area of land "For the purpose of erecting a school".
The Mission Council in its minutes recorded agreement and stated — "The
extent of the land involved in the excambion is
one acre".
For reasons
best known to Government, the idea of building a School in
Blantyre was abandoned, or perhaps it might be better to say "it was
allowed to lie fallow".
However, there
was one man in the country who was not prepared to let
the inertia continue. He was Mr. Richard Paterson, Headmaster of the
Henry Henderson Institute in the Church of Scotland Mission, Blantyre.
Towards the end of 1932, he appealed to the Mission Council to consider
the matter as "Today the problem of education of European children
gives the country some concern. ..."
In 1933 a
Committee was formed to "investigate and report", and it
comprised the following- members: Mr. Richard Paterson, Dr. W.
McFarlane, Rev. John Niven, Miss M. H. Lowe and myself (A. Marshall).
The Committee struggled hard, but it made no progress as it could not
move Government in the matter of finance.
In November
1935 the matter was brought to a head by the news that the
Private School owned by the Rev. W. W. Wratten might soon close. A new
Committee was set up comprising Mr. Richard Paterson, Mr. James Allan
Rodger, Rev. James F. Alexander and myself, "to act as best they thought".
This second
Committee had a hard road to travel, but it managed to
persuade Government to take a real and practical interest in the
opening of a school in Blantyre. In August 1937 the Committee lost the
services of the Rev. J. F. Alexander who retired from Nyasaland and
who, in 1939 and 1940, was Minister of the Scots Church, St. Andrew's,
in Jerusalem. He was replaced by the Rev. P. H. Borrowman. In December
1937 the Committee was able to report that an agreement had been signed
between the Church of Scotland Mission and the Nyasaland Government for
the establishment in Blantyre of a Primary School for European
children. In the negotiations, much valuable assistance and sympathy
for the cause was rendered by Mr. A. Travers Lacey, then Director of
Education. The Government had agreed to advance, (on loan), the sum of
£2,500 at a low rate of interest. The Church of Scotland Mission agreed
to give the use of the land, build the School, the Teacher's House and
to manage affairs until such time as the Government could see its way
clear to assume full responsibility.
The Committee
planned and successfully launched the venture after
Easter 1938.
Various names
for the school were suggested and the Committee, since we
were all Scots, put forward such names as "Lona School", "St.
Columba's" and, I am proud to remember, I proposed the name "St. Andrew's" which was eventually
the unanimous choice of the Committee.
The first
Teacher appointed was Miss
S. E. DANIELSON, a Shetland Islander, who had been teaching in
Hull, England. The School Building, the Teacher's House and the African
Janitor's House were planned and constructed by Mr. Hugh Aitken, the
builder of the Church of Scotland Mission. He was also responsible for
making the initial school furniture. The building work commenced in
1938.
The Original
"Old Mission School"
Miss DANIELSON
arrived in April 1938, and so with the buildings not yet completed, the
first pupils were enrolled early in May 1938. The school commenced in
the old Manse of Blantyre which, by that time, was the Council Room and
Staff Room of the Mission. The Teacher's House was completed and
occupied before the end of 1938 and the school building itself was
completed in January 1939.
The Old
School in 2006
The Official
Opening of the school was planned to coincide with the
commencement date of the first term of 1939. It had been arranged
that Sir Harold Kittermaster, Governor of Nyasaland, should preside at
the Opening Ceremony, but he unfortunately died suddenly before the
opening date. Mr. John C. Abraham, the Provincial Commissioner,
(Southern Province), therefore, performed the Opening Ceremony on 1st
February 1939, and Mrs. Abraham planted a tree in the school grounds.
Miss DANIELSON,
the sole Teacher in the school, was married in 1939, and became Mrs. W. ADAMSON, but she retained
her post until December 1939.
In December
1939 Mr. C. Forson Sinderson, now of Limbe, was elected to
the School Management Committee in place of Mr. Richard Paterson who
had proceeded on overseas leave. The School Management Committee was
formed to succeed the original Committee just after the school came
into being.
By 1939 the
number of pupils had grown considerably and the Government
agreed sometime later to a certain measure of financial aid in order to
open a hostel. In the meantime, however, temporary arrangements were
made and Mr. Richard Paterson suggested the use of his house as a
hostel during his furlough period. A Mrs. Chambers then negotiated with
the Committee and opened a Hostel on her own account in Mr. Paterson's
house. This Hostel proved successful and a much needed home for
children whose parents were "up country".
The Hostel was eventually moved to the Sunnyside district of Blantyre
where, in latter years, it was supervised by Mrs. Eve DAWES who held an
appointment from the Government, as Matron. The Hostel at Sunnyside was
in the house and grounds of the late G. F. Ponson, French Consular
Agent in Nyasaland, and it is in these grounds that the new and
present-day, (written in 1958), St. Andrew's
Preparatory School is erected.
By January
1940 World War II was upon us and the question of replacing Mrs. ADAMSON was pressing. The
Committee was fortunate, with the aid of the Director of Education, in
obtaining the services of Mrs. Hettie
F. MORGAN, who had taught previously under the London County
Council and had spent a year in Umtali under the "exchange system".
Since she found it difficult to return to England during war
conditions, Mrs. MORGAN had to
stay in Africa and she began her work at the commencement of the first
term in 1940.
Mrs. MORGAN
proved an earnest, hard-working and well respected Headmistress and she
served St. Andrew's faithfully and well until 1947. During her term of
office she was ably assisted from 1942 onwards by Mrs. LAWRENCE, (wife of an
Agricultural Officer), then Mrs.
BENSON, (wife of the District Commissioner), Mrs. EITIG and Mrs. COX. Mrs. Dorothy WATSON of Livingstonia
assumed the duties of Headmistress when Mrs. MORGAN spent her long leave in
S. Africa.
By 1946 the
Mission was pressing the Nyasaland Government to assume
full responsibility for the school. The school was finally taken over
by the Nyasaland Government after April 1947, to be followed later by
the Federal Government.
When Mrs. MORGAN left
Nyasaland, Mrs. HARGREAVES
then became Headmistress followed by Miss
ROBERTS and then the first Headmaster was appointed, Mr. S. CUMMINGS from Bishop
Auckland, County Durham. When Mr.
CUMMINGS left, Mrs. Nan STAPLES
assumed control until Mr. Douglas
ECCLES, the present Headmaster, (written in 1958), was appointed.
The school has
gone from strength to strength - from a little school
which started with 14 children in 1938 until the present time (1958)
with 512 children in the Preparatory (or Junior) School, and 141 in the
new Senior School at Nyambadwe with its own Headmaster
and Staff.
What of the
children who joined the school in its early years? They
have done extremely well and they have certainly set a high standard
which I hope will be emulated by this and succeeding generations of
Nyasaland children. Two girls qualified as Doctors at Edinburgh
University. One boy hopes to qualify in Medicine at this same
University in the next year or so, while another girl hopes to qualify
in Medicine at Aberdeen University next year.
Several girls
entered the Nursing Profession in Scotland, while another
qualified as a Physio-Therapist. One girl made the Theatre her
profession and she reached the London stage. One boy did his Military
Training with the famous Royal Scots Regiment and he was on active
service in Malaya while another boy served in the Suez Canal area. One
boy is a qualified Civil Engineer and two are Ship’s
Officers. One girl went to Rhodes University and is now a Secondary
School Teacher in the service of the Federal Government. Two other
girls are Teachers in England. One bright lad did his Military Service
with the Royal Air Force and has, this year, taken an honours degree at
Cambridge University. His sister is an Art Student.
Other former
pupils have gone to well known schools in South Africa and
some have gone to schools in the UK. Two lads are in the Federal
Administration Service and others whom I know are doing well in service
with Banks, Commerce and in the Tea and Tobacco industries.
In the
sporting world, two boys have gained their colours for Nyasaland
- one for 'Rugger' and one for Soccer and Tennis.
Well done "Old
Andreans" of the early years!
In July of
this year, Mr. Doug ECCLES,
the present Headmaster in 1958, honoured me by inviting me to present
the trophies at the Annual Sports Day. I saw a large, happy and, I am
sure, talented group of children who ought to go far in life.
The men who
laid the foundations can, I feel sure, enjoy quiet
satisfaction in knowing that their earnest endeavours of twenty years
ago have been realised in the present St. Andrew's School. It remains
for the boys and girls of today to aspire to standards as high as those
of the past. I am sure they will.
On the 3rd
September 1953 the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland came
into being.
The Federation, (also known as "The Central
African Federation" or
CAF), was a semi-Independent State in Southern Africa that existed from
1953 to 1964. It comprised the former British Protectorates of Southern
Rhodesia, Northern Rhodesia and Nyasaland. It was a Federal Realm of
the British Crown - not a Colony, or a Dominion although the British
Sovereign was represented by a Governor-General, as was usual for
Dominions. It was intended to eventually become a full Dominion within
the Commonwealth of Nations.
The Federation was inaugurated on the 3rd of
Sept 1953, with a goal to
create a middle way between the newly Independent and Socialist black
States and the white-dominated Governments of South Africa, Angola and
Mozambique. It was intended to be a perpetual entity, but ultimately
crumbled because the Black African Nationalists wanted a greater share
of power than the dominant white population was willing to concede.
Newly Independent Black African States were
united in wanting to end
all forms of Colonialism in Africa. With most of the World moving away
from Colonialism during this time, (late 1950s - early 1960s), the
United Kingdom was subjected to much pressure from the United Nations
and the Organisation of African Unity, which supported the aspirations
of the Black African Nationalists.
At the start of The Federation, St. Andrew's
School was only a Government Junior
School and was situated on the Mission Grounds close to the town of
Blantyre. The
Nyasaland Government ceded all control to the new Federal Government at
this time.
In 1955 The Federal Government's Dept of
Education drew up plans for
the first ever High School to be established in the country. A site in
Nyambadwe, (on the Chileka Road), was selected and construction
commenced that year. The initial plans called for the School Hall and
Administration section, a Classroom Wing and a Hostel as well as two
separate Junior Classrooms by the School entrance. In addition a Sports
Field was to be prepared at the back of the School.
Photo shows the main School buildings just
after completion and
before
construction started on the Science Block or Lower Sports Field.
(Circa 1956)
In
mid-56,
while construction continued on the main buildings the Std 4
& 5 Junior pupils moved from the "Old Mission School" into the new
Junior Classrooms at Nyambadwe. The classes from KG up to Std 3
remained behind at the “Mission School”, Mr ECCLES was the Headmaster of both
sections of the Junior School during this period. Later this same year
construction was also started on the second, (lower), Sports Field and
the new Science Block, (connecting to the Admin. block).
New Science Block under construction.
Also
during 1956 the The Governor of Nyasaland - H.E. Sir Robert
Armitage gave his permission for the new St. Andrew's Hostel to be
named "Armitage House".
The Beit Trust was also approached for
financial assistance with the
building of a School Swimming Pool.
On Monday, January 28th 1957 the new School
Term opened, and, for the
first time ever Senior Classes were started at St. Andrew's! The pupils
from the previous year's Std 5 became the new Senior Form 1 pupils.
They remained in the old "Junior Classrooms" for the first year. The
new
Form 1 had two streams, 'A', and 'B' each containing approximately 25
pupils giving a total of just over 50 all together. No exact records
have been found, and to date (2009) we have established a list of 54
names
of pupils who started in the very first Senior Classes at the School
and in the country. They are known as the "Club 57".
Founder Pupils
of the "Senior School" ("Club 57")
The following
is a list of all known pupils who were at the School in the very first
year of Senior Classes at the School. Most have been confirmed however
a very few we have been unable to track down and we await this
confirmation. I am pleased, and honoured, to be recorded in this group!!
Isabel Allan (now Parker); Valaine Cantley (now Middleton); John
Chalke; Sandra
Challis, Barbara Cox
(now Cranfield); Jacqui Card
(now Roberts); Janet Cribb (now Hopping); Mike Curnow;
Jan de Waal; Victoria Delcou (♰); George
Ferroni; Mick Furby; Susan Eccles (now Halpin); Margaret
Galley; Marina
Gatto (now Gee); Geoff Goodchild; Charlie Haines(♰); Robbie Haines; Ian Harris; Jill Kelly (now Ketay); Maureen
Kennington (Fenech); John Kirkham; Jean Cotton
(now Lipman); David Lynn; Nick Malahias; David Mansfield(♰); Maria
Mendes (now Capener); Joan Millar
(now Padfield); Antony Milner; Heidi Moss (now Clark); Judy Parkinson (now Egan); June Patterson (now Lorita Hayes); Peter Parker; Sydney
Pearson; Martin Rogers;
Elizabeth Rosam(♰); Adel Row, Martha-Jean
Sandford; Suzanne
Sandford; Michael
Spencer; Clifford
J. Smith; Clifford D. Smith;
Gail
Stevenson; John Gregg
(now Stranack); Patricia Storm;
Susan
Thurlow; Gunter (now Ian) Urquhart; Penny Waters
(now Allan); Ian "Witty" Whitfield; Janet
Whorton; Chris Yiannakis(♰); Jim
Yiannakis; Paul Yiannakis;
Keith Young.
Underlined
names need confirmation.
Names in RED are so far
un-found.
Names in PURPLE are
deceased. TOTAL so far 54
1957 was also the start of
a new phase in St. Andrew's History insofar as there was a new Senior
School Headmaster. The position was offered to Doug ECCLES but he refused it to
carry on with the Junior children which was his preference. Therefore a
Mr Robert "Bob"
KLETTE was appointed to this position by the Federal Dept
of Education.
Later that year the construction of the new
'Junior School' in Sunnyside
commenced, and the rest of the Juniors moved out of the 'Old Mission
School' and were temporarily accommodated at Nyambadwe until the new
Junior School was completed.
Unfortunately at the end of the first term
the position of 'Regional
Director of Education' in Nyasaland became vacant and as Mr KLETTE, (the new Senior
Headmaster), was
the most senior person available, so he was promoted to this position.
He
therefore left the School after only one term. To fill this gap one of
the Senior Teachers at the School, Mr
Hillary PARSONS was appointed as 'Acting Headmaster' until a
replacement could be found.
The position was again offered to Mr
ECCLES but he turned it down still preferring to carry on
working
with
the Junior pupils. He did however suggest an ex-RAF friend of his - Mr Bill OWEN - for the position.
The replacement Headmaster - Mr
William "Bill" OWEN - arrived in Nyasaland, from Southern
Rhodesia, in July 1957. He did not immediately take over from Mr PARSONS but worked alongside him
for the rest of the school year.
For the start of the new, 1958, school year
it was decided by the Dept
of Education to divide the school into 3 separate entities, each with
its own new name :-
St Andrew's
KG School and
St Andrew's
Preparatory School,
(would both be situated at the new
School being built in Sunnyside).
Mr Doug ECCLES would be the
Headmaster of this School.
St Andrew's
High
School (SAHS) was to be at the new Nyambadwe site with the new
Headmaster Mr "Bill" OWEN. A
new School Badge was also introduced. (See right)
There is no
record, (so far), of there ever being an "Official Opening"
of the new High School at Nyambadwe!!
In 1959 construction started on the School
Swimming Pool which was
completed later that year.
In April 1960 a second Hostel was constructed and this was named
"Malvern House". Both the boys and girls, who were Boarders, now had
their own Hostels on the School grounds and the old Florence
Nightingale Hostel in Sunnyside was closed down. The boys moved into
the new Malvern House Hostel and after additions and changes the girls
took over the Armitage House Hostel.
Little or nothing has been found on this section of St Andrew's.
Further information is being researched and we hope to expand this some
time in the future.
The Preparatory
School
The
new Preparatory School in
Sunnyside was completed only in 1959 and
it's official opening took place on the 11th July of that year. The
opening was officiated by The Acting Secretary for Education, Mr G.H.
Tanser BA.
There
is evidence however that some pupils moved into the new buildings
before construction had been completed, (just like Nyambadwe!).
The
School combined both the KG School
and the, (re-named), Preparatory
School as separate entities. Doug
ECCLES was
the first Headmaster.
The Prep School in 2002
The
"Junior"/Preparatory
School Badge
THE
badge finally chosen for the newly named Preparatory School was the
result of drawings submitted by Mr. and Mrs. D. Patterson and Mr.
D. DUNN, to whom great credit is due for much painstaking
research and many attractive and colourful designs.
ST. ANDREW'S
CROSS: St. Andrew was one of the twelve apostles, who after the
death
of Jesus and the resurrection, travelled in Asia Minor. He was
arrested while teaching in Petrar, the chief sea port on the Western
coast of Greece, and ordered to sacrifice to the Gods. On refusing,
he was thrown into prison and when brought to trial, he so enraged
the Judge by accusing him of impiety, that he was ordered to be
crucified. On November 30th in 70 AD, he died on a 'X' shaped cross and
since that time a cross shaped in this way has been known as the
'Saint Andrew's Cross'.
NYASALAND
SHIELD: The possibility of replacing the rising sun with a book
was
considered, but since the conception of 'lux in tenebris'
is particularly appropriate to Education, it was decided to retain the
Nyasaland badge as originally
designed in 1914. The choice of the Leopard as central theme was made
because in such a hilly country Leopards are common and frequently
troublesome. The motto 'Light in
Darkness' was
originated by the first Governor Sir Harry Johnston.
MOTTO:
The Latin motto 'Disce Prodesse'
— ('Learn to be of
Service') is intended to convey our hopes that St. Andrew's
School children will become educated citizens in the widest sense of
the term, with a full sense of responsibility to the community in
which they live.
In the early 60s the Federation broke up.
First Nyasaland received it's
Independence, (as Malaŵi), followed later by Northern Rhodesia, (as
Zambia), while Southern Rhodesia carried on and declared UDI in 1965,
(as Rhodesia).
So on the 5th July 1964 the new Nation of
Malaŵi was born and thus
ended the Federal Period of St. Andrew's School. Control of the School
was ceded to the new Malaŵi Government lead by Dr Hastings Banda and
his Malaŵi Congress Party.
On Monday 6th
July the School had a final honour in this period of it's
history when a Civic Luncheon was held in the School Hall "To
commemorate the Country's attainment of Independence".
The speech of welcome was given by the Mayor
of Blantyre and Limbe,
Councillor A. Sattar Sacrani. The Toast to the State of Malaŵi was
given by H.R.H. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh and the reply was from
The Prime Minister of Malaŵi, Dr, The Hon. Ngwazi H. Kamuzu Banda.
The School continued on in the new country - Malawi - but in 1965,
after threats from Dr Banda the School changed its name to "St.
Andrew's Secondary School" and the School crest was changed to
reflect the new name.
Declining pupil numbers then became a problem as a result of the
general economic decline, political uncertainty and other reasons and
the School ran into a very bad period. General financial problems
plagued the School until the early 80s.
In 1977 the School was made a 'Government School' under the auspices of
the 'Designated Schools Board' which in turn was disbanded in 1999.
Conditions did not improve until the new Headmaster - Maj
Bryan
BAYLY -
was appointed and he was able to rejuvenate the School. Amongst other
things, in 1981 he made the School an independently financed
"International School" under the "Council for International Schools"
and it's name was changed yet again to St.
Andrew's International High
School. (SAintS), the name it retains to this day (2007).The
school
crest was also changed again.
On
the occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the change of name to a
'High" school, in 1998, the achievements of Maj BAYLY were recognised,
together with those of Mrs "Florrie"
MULLON - one of the longest
serving Teachers at the School - having started at the Junior School in
the pre-Federal period - by the renaming of the re-vamped School
Hall/Stage as the "Bayly-Mullon
Theatre". At the same time the Dance
and Drama Studio, built above the enlarged Dinning Hall, was opened.
School
from the Air
Front of School
(circa 1970)
(2006)
Founder Pupils
of the "Senior School" ("Club 57")
