Let’s Chat About Special Needs Children (And My Special School Friend)

As a second time around parent to two Special Needs boys – one with mild Autism and one with ADHD deluxe I had a very rude (and earth shattering) awakening to this genre of education.

My first two children excelled at traditional schools and went on to honours, masters and jobs that set them up for life.

My second time around sons have enabled me to find the depths of patience that I never knew existed. Admittedly they turned my life around – the first major change was getting used to being woken up at 4:00 am day after day, week after week, month after month and year after year. Thankfully that has eased off dramatically and sleep deprivation is slowly being cancelled.

Parents with Special Needs children have major added expenses in their lives – therapy, counselling, special schooling, medications that all result in tens of thousands or rands more per month than a comparable child in a traditional school.

Try R9000 a month per child for schooling that offers one teacher per less than 10 children or over a thousand rand a month for chronic medication that NO private medical aid or government dispensary will cover and you start to see why special needs parents are ‘heads down’ and focused on surviving and creating an environment for their children that will allow them to thrive and join society in a positive manner when they leave school.

The Saints of Elsen:

My school mate, Mark Barclay, is the Headmaster at Elsen Academy and, as I say to him every time we chat; “Mark you are a saint with patience exceeding that of Job!” Imagine a few hundred special needs children under your care and you will understand why Mark and his dedicated staff are candidates for sainthood.

Sainthood is probably an apt term as the Elsen Academy is presently housed in one of Ken Denton’s buildings – the old Holy Rosary Convent, slap bang in the Central area.

Now, Central has lost it’s charm and feeling of safety as the drug dealers and prostitutes roam Bird Street – not something that one wants impressionable children to be exposed to!

In addition there are no grassy fields for the children to play sport on – all they have for football games is an old tennis court with artificial turf thereon.

We all know that Ken marches to the slow beat of his own drum so the school is in a constant state of construction – it has been so since John and Nicholas started there 8 or so years ago. Once again not so wonderful for young children. Let me hasten to add, though, that the work that has been completed is excellent.

Headboy:

I have another friend from the Old Grey Class of ’81 – Michael Jarvis (we know him as Headboy). Now Michael also had a child at Elsen Academy. He recently asked the Class of ’81 if they could assist Elsen Academy with a dream that they have, saying; “You all know the extraordinary work that Mark Barclay has been doing with Elsen in Bird Street. My own son went there from junior school and this year successfully completed his Masters in the UK — a living example of what Mark’s vision, the school’s model and the dedication of his team can achieve.”

Headboy was the Chair of the Elsen Board for many years, and one of the boards great ambitions has always been to create a secure campus — a true home and the heart of the Alma Mater that means so much to all.

As Headboy says; “Despite our best efforts, during my time as Chairman we never quite managed to make that happen. Now, incredibly, the opportunity has presented itself.”

The Bottom Line – Act Fast:

Curro has closed the St. Georges Primary School in Park Drive and put the campus on the market. Elsen Academy made an offer before the auction date but were turned down. Now they estimate that they would have to up their offer by around R4 Million in order to secure the St. Georges Campus for the Elsen Academy and have embarked on a public appeal to the Elsen Community and the South African Public at large to assist with pledges by 24 August 2026 to reach that goal.

Insiders tell me that with the estimated purchase price the school will be paying less per month on a bond than what they pay for rental at present – so keen minds have been applied to make sure that the move is for all the right reasons that include financial!

The chance to acquire the St George’s School campus is not simply a property opportunity. It could be the defining moment in Elsen’s history — creating the secure, permanent campus these children need and giving this very special institution the platform to thrive for generations.

Imagine, if you will, just how much a school with a pool and grass will inspire these children to greater heights.

If you can assist please contact Mark directly on 082 874 1888 or mark@elsen.co.za

Do You Know Jannie Mouton?

Curro Holdings is owned by the Jannie Mouton Foundation, a philanthropic non-profit trust. The foundation acquired the private school network in a R7.2 billion deal that delisted Curro from the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and transitioned it into a public benefit organization.

So, if you know Mr Mouton well enough to pick up the phone and have a chat I, for one, would be forever grateful if you could appeal to his kind heart and ask if he is willing to make a private deal with Elsen – no charity, just a deal that will ensure that Gqeberha’s beloved historical St Georges Park Campus will be preserved for generations to come and not fall prey to a developer who will rob future generations of this magnificent building.

The elegant Victorian mansion ‘Knockfierna’ in Park Drive is entirely suitable for Elsen Academy. It ushered in the 20th century as the home of a wealthy wool merchant and farmer, John Daverin. Daverin was also a Member of Parliament and philanthropist (like Jannie Mouton). Now largely forgotten, his legacy endured in the form of the St Georges Preparatory School, let’s continue the properties long standing use as a school and make Elsen Academy’s dream come true.

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Let’s Chat About Special Needs Children (And my Special School Friend)

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