Rethinking Excellence

For generations, academic excellence has been defined through numbers – marks on a report card, distinctions, university acceptance rates. Increasingly, however, parents, educators and psychologists are questioning whether these traditional measures capture the full picture of a child’s potential. Is academic success simply about high performance, or should it also recognise curiosity, resilience, emotional intelligence, creativity and personal growth?

Across South Africa, more schools are beginning to challenge the idea that there is only one pathway to achievement. Two such schools are the Diocesan School for Girls (DSG) and its brother school, St Andrew’s College, in Makhanda – both respected institutions with a shared commitment to fostering environments where every learner is encouraged to progress and thrive in their own way.

At DSG, Acting Head and Head of Academics Dr Petra Gentz has long championed the idea that success unfolds differently for every young person. “Schools often celebrate distinctions and top achievers, but these don’t always tell the full story,” she notes. “Real success is found in the progress a child makes over time: in the confidence gained, the resilience shown, and the steady improvement that comes from a supportive and understanding environment.”

DSG’s Educational Psychologist, Jane Jarvis, reinforces this perspective through the lens of pupil wellbeing and the urgent need to broaden traditional definitions of success.

“When we widen our understanding of achievement and what defines success – especially later on in life – we give pupils permission to learn in ways that genuinely honour who they are,” Jarvis explains. “So many children feel enormous pressure to achieve top marks, get into specific degree programmes and follow very narrow pathways. When that becomes the only definition of success, we unintentionally send the message that anything outside of that box means a limited future, and that simply isn’t true.”

Jarvis adds that many young people face extended academic struggles that require perseverance, grit and courage.

“For some children, academic learning doesn’t come easily, and they have to dig incredibly deep over many years,” she says. “But when we support them properly, they develop resilience that serves them far beyond school. The goal is not to break them, or merely survive within the system, but to help them thrive within the school environment.” There is the emotional cost of perfectionism, unrealistic expectations and comparison culture.

“The belief that you’re only ‘good enough’ if you achieve perfection is contributing significantly to the anxiety and poor mental health we’re seeing in schools,” she notes. “We need to meet children where they are, help them set realistic, manageable goals and adjust these when necessary. Schools should open the door to the next step in a child’s journey – not dictate their entire future.”

This philosophy is shared by St Andrew’s College, where Deputy Head Graham Creese emphasises that the school’s academic success is not defined by filtering or selectivity. “We are enormously proud of the exceptional academic achievements of our boys,” he says. “However, as a school that is non-selective academically and has no entrance exam, we believe that the value of our academic offering is highlighted best by the extraordinary success of our boys who are not necessarily the top academic performers, rather than misleading statistics like ‘A’s per candidate’.”

He points to recent examples: “In 2024, a boy who improved from an average of 59% in Grade 9 went on to achieve an A aggregate with five distinctions in Grade 12. Another improved from failing Grade 9 with an average of 37% to achieving a Bachelor’s Degree pass in Grade 12 with an average of 63%. These are the stories that show what progress truly looks like.”

This belief in growth over perfection is reflected in a pioneering new development at St Andrew’s College: the Neurodiversity Excellence Scholarship, designed to support boys with ADHD, Autism and specific learning differences such as dyslexia or dyspraxia. The scholarship is not remedial, nor does it signal lowered expectations – it recognises that neurodiverse learners often bring exceptional insight, creativity and determination.

“While we acknowledge that mainstream schooling, particularly in a predominantly boarding environment, isn’t for everyone,” Creese adds, “we look to celebrate the unique gifts that neurodiverse children can bring to our community. High school readiness, executive function and academic potential are all important factors in our admissions process, but the greatest key to success is the family partnership: a supportive home environment and a willingness to collaborate in the child’s growth and support.”

For both DSG and St Andrew’s, education is not merely about producing top marks, but shaping confident, empathetic, self-aware young people. The schools’ shared message is clear: when pupils are supported as individuals rather than ranked against one another, excellence becomes something far richer and more meaningful.

As Dr Gentz concludes: “We need to move away from asking, ‘How clever is this child?’ and instead ask, ‘How is this child clever?’ Once we start doing that, we unlock a whole new world of potential – for our pupils, and for education itself.”

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Author: Karina van den Heever from Tinkwe on behalf of DSG School.

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