Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa
Encyclopedia
Student Sponsorship Programme South Africa (SSP SA) is a non-profit trust based in Johannesburg
, South Africa that enables academically distinguished, economically disadvantaged students to excel at some of the top private and public high schools in the Gauteng
and Eastern Cape
provinces.
The SSP process begins by recruiting exceptional students from underprivileged communities and placing those students into top private and public high schools of nearby districts.
To complete the process and ensure a positive outcome, SSP provides extensive support services for the students and their parents throughout all the high school years.
, Nyagaka Ongeri and Gerri Engelman. In 2000, SSP placed 25 students in three high schools in Johannesburg: St Mary’s School – Waverley
, St. Stithians College, and King Edward VII School. Each of those 25 students was matched with a mentor for the full five years of high school. The programme performed exceptionally well, in that all 25 students completed the eighth grade.
In the first classes of graduates, 94% of the SSP scholars graduated from high school, and 95% of those graduates went onto university, the majority following degrees in the areas of finance, engineering, advertising/marketing, law and medicine. SSP is working towards providing opportunities for all students to attend a top educational institution, and ultimately, to receive a university degree and enter the workforce.
In 2007, most of SSP scholars achieved higher marks than their peers in their schools, as demonstrated by their scorecards. And many of them were elected to a number of leadership positions, including Head Boy/Girl, Deputy Head Boy/Girl, Prefect, Head of House, and sport’s team captain.
The huge success of the programme for the following years allowed SSP to secure for additional funding necessary to continue to accept more students. In 2009, there were almost 400 students in the programme, including 177 alumni.
On February 24, 2011, SSP celebrated its 10th year anniversary. The celebrations, including a gala dinner, focused on having placed over 610 students through the program, including 365 current scholars and 245 alumni, as well as the number of current partner schools and the excellent passing rate. More than 90% of SSP scholars will continue their studies at tertiary level.
As of February 2011, SSP is a Partner Organization with Princeton in Africa
.. SSP also partners with Hotchkiss Summer School (sending 2 students every summer), Family Life Center, Young & Able, and Impact Young Lives Foundation.
still is the largest single beneficiary of the government public expenditure as it is a key figure to reducing poverty and accelerating long term economic development and sustainability. In fact, South Africa has one of the highest rates of public investment in education in the world. The Government expenditure for education grew 14% a year for the past 4 years, accounting for R 104,4 billion ($14.31 billion US dollars) in 2009 and nearly R 165,0 billion ($22.73 billion US dollars) in 2010.
Schooling is compulsory between the ages of seven and 15 years. All learners are guaranteed access to quality learning. There are two types of schools: independent (private) and public.
By mid-2007, the South African public education system had 12,3 million learners, 387.000 educators and about 26.592 schools, including 400 special-needs schools and 1.098 registered private schools. Of all schools, 6.000 were secondary schools (grades eight to 12) and the rest were primary schools (grades one to seven). The department aims to have 800 000 pupils enrolled in Grade R by 2010. By February 2009, 1 732 Grade R sites had registered with the then Department of Education, catering for about 45 950 learners.
In 2008, Grade 12 learners wrote the first National Senior Certificate
(NSC) based on the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS). A total of 589 912 learners enrolled for the NSC examinations. The pass rate was 62,5%. In 2009, 68 129 candidates wrote the NSC
examination, achieving a pass rate of 60,7%.
A report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on education in South Africa has found that while the education system has achieved a number of positive results in the past 14 years, it is still in a process of transition, and is suffering from a lack of resources and infrastructure.
Even with the efforts currently undertaken by the government to close the educational divide, huge differences still prevail. Years of unequal educational opportunities have led to a deficient public education system, especially in rural areas. Differences are notorious between poorer, rural provinces like Eastern Cape
and KwaZulu-Natal
and more affluent and thriving provinces such as Gauteng
and the Western Cape. Illiteracy rates currently stand just below 20% for people over 15 years old, roughly 9 million adults are not functionally literate, teachers in township schools are poorly trained and funded. While 65% of whites over 20 years old and 40% of Indians have a high school or higher degree, amongst coloured population the rate is 17% and for black population is a mere 14%.
Other government efforts include targeting the most in need for proper education, with two specially designed programmes. One is fee-frees schools, institutions that receive all their required funding from the state and so they don’t have to charge such fees. This fee-free schools, targeting the poorest of the poor, have been carefully identified in the country’s most poverty-stricken areas, and by 2007 they made up almost 40% of the schools.
The other is the National Schools Nutrition Programme, which feeds daily about seven millions scholars, including all those attending primary schools in 13 rural and eight urban poverty pockets. The programme was extended in 2009 to 1,500 secondary schools around the country, feeding one million secondary scholars from grades 8th to 12th.
Students who are currently in grade six participate in the recruitment process which includes an entrance exam as well as various rigorous interviews.
The main criteria for acceptance into the programme includes academic excellence, financial need and leadership skills. The SSP selection process is purposely rigorous to prepare the students to face the academic challenge of changing their learning environment to a more complex and challenging one in the partner schools.
SSP has developed partnerships with over 20 top high schools in Johannesburg, East London and Grahamstown. Including the following:
, and former Managing Director, Investment Banking Division Goldman Sachs
. Ms. Clarke also served on the Board of the Student Sponsorship Partnership in New York for several years and chaired the New Sponsorship Recruitment Committee. She currently is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a board member of Southern Africa Legal Services (Legal Resources Centre), and a board member of the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Nigeria, and a board member of the Opportunity Agenda in New York. Ms. Clarke holds a BA in Economics cum laude from Harvard College
, an MBA from Harvard Business School
and a JD from Harvard Law School
.
Nyagaka Ongeri – Managing Principal, ABSA Capital. Managing Director, Barclays Capital
. Former Vice President, J.P. Morgan, Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, he worked on the Debt Capital Markets Desk of Merrill Lynch
in New York for four years. Mr. Ongeri holds a BA in finance, summa cum laude, from Howard University
and an MBA from Harvard Business School
.
Ms. Tandiwe Lumka Njobe- Experience: Director, Standard Bank; Analyst, Deutsche Bank
; Senior Analyst, Abt Associates.Academic BA – Smith College, MBA - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Mr. Itumeleng Kgaboesele- Experience: Co-founder & CEO, Sphere Holdings
Academic: BCom, Post-Grad Diploma in Accounting, University of Cape Town; Chartered Accountant (SA)
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, South Africa that enables academically distinguished, economically disadvantaged students to excel at some of the top private and public high schools in the Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
and Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
provinces.
The SSP process begins by recruiting exceptional students from underprivileged communities and placing those students into top private and public high schools of nearby districts.
To complete the process and ensure a positive outcome, SSP provides extensive support services for the students and their parents throughout all the high school years.
History
SSP was founded in 1999 by Teresa ClarkeTeresa Clarke
Teresa Hillary Clarke, daughter of Audrey M. Clarke of Los Angeles, is a prominent African American businesswoman, entrepreneur and investment banker. She has a lucrative career and extensive experience in financial management and international business. Growing up in California, Teresa H...
, Nyagaka Ongeri and Gerri Engelman. In 2000, SSP placed 25 students in three high schools in Johannesburg: St Mary’s School – Waverley
St Mary's School, Waverley
St Mary's School is an independent private boarding school for girls located in Waverley, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Established in 1888, it is the oldest school in Johannesburg.The school was founded by the Anglican Church in 1888...
, St. Stithians College, and King Edward VII School. Each of those 25 students was matched with a mentor for the full five years of high school. The programme performed exceptionally well, in that all 25 students completed the eighth grade.
In the first classes of graduates, 94% of the SSP scholars graduated from high school, and 95% of those graduates went onto university, the majority following degrees in the areas of finance, engineering, advertising/marketing, law and medicine. SSP is working towards providing opportunities for all students to attend a top educational institution, and ultimately, to receive a university degree and enter the workforce.
In 2007, most of SSP scholars achieved higher marks than their peers in their schools, as demonstrated by their scorecards. And many of them were elected to a number of leadership positions, including Head Boy/Girl, Deputy Head Boy/Girl, Prefect, Head of House, and sport’s team captain.
The huge success of the programme for the following years allowed SSP to secure for additional funding necessary to continue to accept more students. In 2009, there were almost 400 students in the programme, including 177 alumni.
On February 24, 2011, SSP celebrated its 10th year anniversary. The celebrations, including a gala dinner, focused on having placed over 610 students through the program, including 365 current scholars and 245 alumni, as well as the number of current partner schools and the excellent passing rate. More than 90% of SSP scholars will continue their studies at tertiary level.
As of February 2011, SSP is a Partner Organization with Princeton in Africa
Princeton in Africa
Princeton in Africa is a nonprofit organization that selects recent college graduates to work as Princeton in Africa Fellows at a variety of organizations in Africa. PiAf places graduating seniors and young alumni of all non-profit colleges and universities in the U.S. who seek to serve other...
.. SSP also partners with Hotchkiss Summer School (sending 2 students every summer), Family Life Center, Young & Able, and Impact Young Lives Foundation.
Overview
Education in South AfricaEducation in South Africa
South Africa has a 3 tier system of education starting with primary school, followed by high school and tertiary education in the form of universities and universities of technology....
still is the largest single beneficiary of the government public expenditure as it is a key figure to reducing poverty and accelerating long term economic development and sustainability. In fact, South Africa has one of the highest rates of public investment in education in the world. The Government expenditure for education grew 14% a year for the past 4 years, accounting for R 104,4 billion ($14.31 billion US dollars) in 2009 and nearly R 165,0 billion ($22.73 billion US dollars) in 2010.
Schooling is compulsory between the ages of seven and 15 years. All learners are guaranteed access to quality learning. There are two types of schools: independent (private) and public.
By mid-2007, the South African public education system had 12,3 million learners, 387.000 educators and about 26.592 schools, including 400 special-needs schools and 1.098 registered private schools. Of all schools, 6.000 were secondary schools (grades eight to 12) and the rest were primary schools (grades one to seven). The department aims to have 800 000 pupils enrolled in Grade R by 2010. By February 2009, 1 732 Grade R sites had registered with the then Department of Education, catering for about 45 950 learners.
In 2008, Grade 12 learners wrote the first National Senior Certificate
National Senior Certificate
The National Senior Certificate or NSC is the equivalent of a high school diploma and is the school-leaving certificate in South Africa. This certificate is commonly known as the matriculant certificate, as grade 12 is known as the matriculation grade...
(NSC) based on the new National Curriculum Statement (NCS). A total of 589 912 learners enrolled for the NSC examinations. The pass rate was 62,5%. In 2009, 68 129 candidates wrote the NSC
NSC
NSC is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:* National Safety Council, an American nonprofit organization* National Salvation Committee, a Ukrainian organization founded during the Orange Revolution...
examination, achieving a pass rate of 60,7%.
A report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on education in South Africa has found that while the education system has achieved a number of positive results in the past 14 years, it is still in a process of transition, and is suffering from a lack of resources and infrastructure.
Even with the efforts currently undertaken by the government to close the educational divide, huge differences still prevail. Years of unequal educational opportunities have led to a deficient public education system, especially in rural areas. Differences are notorious between poorer, rural provinces like Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
and KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
and more affluent and thriving provinces such as Gauteng
Gauteng
Gauteng is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. It was formed from part of the old Transvaal Province after South Africa's first all-race elections on 27 April 1994...
and the Western Cape. Illiteracy rates currently stand just below 20% for people over 15 years old, roughly 9 million adults are not functionally literate, teachers in township schools are poorly trained and funded. While 65% of whites over 20 years old and 40% of Indians have a high school or higher degree, amongst coloured population the rate is 17% and for black population is a mere 14%.
Other government efforts include targeting the most in need for proper education, with two specially designed programmes. One is fee-frees schools, institutions that receive all their required funding from the state and so they don’t have to charge such fees. This fee-free schools, targeting the poorest of the poor, have been carefully identified in the country’s most poverty-stricken areas, and by 2007 they made up almost 40% of the schools.
The other is the National Schools Nutrition Programme, which feeds daily about seven millions scholars, including all those attending primary schools in 13 rural and eight urban poverty pockets. The programme was extended in 2009 to 1,500 secondary schools around the country, feeding one million secondary scholars from grades 8th to 12th.
Admission Process
SSP finances five years of high school education at one of its partner schools. They begin the recruiting process at public primary schools located in underprivileged districts across the Gauteng and Eastern Cape provinces.Students who are currently in grade six participate in the recruitment process which includes an entrance exam as well as various rigorous interviews.
The main criteria for acceptance into the programme includes academic excellence, financial need and leadership skills. The SSP selection process is purposely rigorous to prepare the students to face the academic challenge of changing their learning environment to a more complex and challenging one in the partner schools.
Partner Schools
The partner schools are selected using the following criteria:- Graduation and University placement rates,
- Overall academic excellence and opportunities for learning experiences;
- Maintenance of acceptable matric pass,
- Support system of the school, e.g. governing body, headmaster/head mistress;
- Ability to send a critical mass of SSP scholars to the school per year; usually is a group of at least four new 8th graders every year.
- Appointment of an SSP schools coordinator;
- A holistic learning environment that stretches beyond academics, thus including sporting and cultural extracurricular activities.
SSP has developed partnerships with over 20 top high schools in Johannesburg, East London and Grahamstown. Including the following:
- Kingsmead CollegeKingsmead CollegeKingsmead College is a private girls' elementary and high school situated in Melrose, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.-History:The school was founded by Miss Doris V...
- St. John’s CollegeSt John's College (Johannesburg, South Africa)St John's College is a private school for boys in Houghton, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.-History:St John's College was founded in Johannesburg on 1 August 1898 and is an Anglican school....
- St. Mary’s SchoolSt Mary's School, WaverleySt Mary's School is an independent private boarding school for girls located in Waverley, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. Established in 1888, it is the oldest school in Johannesburg.The school was founded by the Anglican Church in 1888...
- St. Stithians Boys' CollegeSt Stithians CollegeSt Stithians College is a Methodist church school situated on the border of Randburg and Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. It follows a co-ordinate educational model within a village of schools consisting of boys' and girls' colleges, boys' and girls' preparatory schools, and a junior...
- King Edward VII SchoolKing Edward VII SchoolKing Edward VII School is a public school located within the city of Johannesburg in South Africa's Gauteng Province, one of the historically significant Milner Schools.-History:...
- Redhill SchoolRedhill SchoolRedhill School is an independent, private, co-educational multi-faith day school located in Morningside, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.It was founded in 1907 as an interdenominational Christian school and today educates over a thousand pupils from pre-primary to high school .There is also a...
- St David’s Marist InandaSt David's Marist InandaSt David's Marist Inanda is a Catholic preparatory and high school located in Inanda, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. The school was established in 1941 by the Marist Brothers, a Catholic order of brothers formed by a young French priest, Marcellin Champagnat, in 1817 to teach poor children...
- American International School of Johannesburg
- St. Stithians Girls' CollegeSt Stithians CollegeSt Stithians College is a Methodist church school situated on the border of Randburg and Sandton, Johannesburg, South Africa. It follows a co-ordinate educational model within a village of schools consisting of boys' and girls' colleges, boys' and girls' preparatory schools, and a junior...
- St. Martin's SchoolSt. Martin's SchoolSt. Martin's School is a private, co-educational school located in Rosettenville, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.-History:St Martin’s School traces its origins back to the foundation of St. Agnes School for the training of domestic helpers in 1908...
- Brescia House School
- Parktown High School for GirlsParktown High School for GirlsParktown High School for Girls is a high school situated in the suburb of Parkview, Johannesburg, South Africa.More commonly known as Parktown Girls, the school's brother school is Parktown Boys' High School located in Parktown, Johannesburg....
- Roedean SchoolRoedean School-Roedeanians in fiction:* Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward * Dawn Drummond-Clayton * Emily James...
- McCauley House
- Sacred HeartSacred HeartThe Sacred Heart is one of the most famous religious devotions to Jesus' physical heart as the representation of His divine love for Humanity....
- SAHETI (South African Hellenic Educational and Technical Institute)
- Jeppe High for Girls
- Pretoria High School for GirlsPretoria High School for GirlsPretoria High School for Girls, also called Girls High or PHSG, is a public, fee charging, English medium high school for girls located in Hatfield, Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa.-Second Anglo-Boer War:...
- Pretoria Boys High SchoolPretoria Boys High SchoolPretoria Boys High School, also known as Boys High or PBHS, is a public, fee charging, English medium high school for boys located in Brooklyn, Pretoria, in the Gauteng province of South Africa....
- [St. Alban's College]]
- Clarendon High School for GirlsClarendon High School for GirlsClarendon High School for Girls is a girls' secondary school situated in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa. It was founded in 1903 as East London Girls' High School.-History:...
- Hudson Park High SchoolHudson Park High SchoolHudson Park High School is a co-educational public school in the suburb of Vincent in East London, South Africa.- History :A small primary school, catering for the Clifton area, was established in 1905 and housed in the...
- Selborne CollegeSelborne CollegeSelborne College is a public, male-only school in East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.-History:Selborne College was founded in 1872 by Pastor Heinrich Muller, a German settler, and at that stage was known as the Panmure Public School...
- St.Andrew’s College
- Diocesan School for Girls
Board of trustees
Teresa Clarke – Chairman and CEO, Africa.comAfrica.com
Africa.com is an organization created to change the way the world sees Africa, using the ever growing use of internet. Using the online web portal about the continent, its main purpose is to be a unique platform for anyone interested in Africa to learn more about all aspects of the continent...
, and former Managing Director, Investment Banking Division Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...
. Ms. Clarke also served on the Board of the Student Sponsorship Partnership in New York for several years and chaired the New Sponsorship Recruitment Committee. She currently is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a board member of Southern Africa Legal Services (Legal Resources Centre), and a board member of the Tony Elumelu Foundation in Nigeria, and a board member of the Opportunity Agenda in New York. Ms. Clarke holds a BA in Economics cum laude from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
, an MBA from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
and a JD from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Nyagaka Ongeri – Managing Principal, ABSA Capital. Managing Director, Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital
Barclays Capital is a global British investment bank. It is the investment banking division of Barclays plc which has a balance sheet of over £1.2 trillion . Barclays Capital provides financing and risk management services to large companies, institutions and government clients. It is a primary...
. Former Vice President, J.P. Morgan, Johannesburg, South Africa. Prior to joining J.P. Morgan, he worked on the Debt Capital Markets Desk of Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch
Merrill Lynch is the wealth management division of Bank of America. With over 15,000 financial advisors and $2.2 trillion in client assets it is the world's largest brokerage. Formerly known as Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc., prior to 2009 the firm was publicly owned and traded on the New York...
in New York for four years. Mr. Ongeri holds a BA in finance, summa cum laude, from Howard University
Howard University
Howard University is a federally chartered, non-profit, private, coeducational, nonsectarian, historically black university located in Washington, D.C., United States...
and an MBA from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
.
Ms. Tandiwe Lumka Njobe- Experience: Director, Standard Bank; Analyst, Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
; Senior Analyst, Abt Associates.Academic BA – Smith College, MBA - University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Mr. Itumeleng Kgaboesele- Experience: Co-founder & CEO, Sphere Holdings
Academic: BCom, Post-Grad Diploma in Accounting, University of Cape Town; Chartered Accountant (SA)
External links
- http://www.ssp.org.za/index.html Student Sponsorship Programme
- http://www.info.gov.za/aboutsa/index.htm South African Government Information]
- http://www.southafrica.info/about/education Education in South Africa
- http://www.princeton.edu/piaf Princeton in Africa