Education Incorporated (Edu Inc), a boutique school in Fourways, Johannesburg celebrates its 10-year anniversary this year with the launch of a bursary fund for deserving students.
The school was founded in 2013 by Jacqueline and Gershom Aitchison, whose vision it was to develop well rounded learners who could successfully embrace and adapt to the rapidly changing world around them. Edu Inc’s mission statement is: ‘Think different. Learn different. Succeed different.’
This personal conviction has led to the school establishing a non-profit company, Edu Looking Forward, whose focus is to provide bursaries to children who would excel under the Edu Inc methodology but who lack the means to attend a private school.
“Our ultimate aim is to build a perpetual bursary fund for one child per grade to ensure that their schooling career is stable, continuous and provides them with the best possible opportunity to grow into their potential. From there they will be well positioned to attain tertiary scholarships to continue their academic journey,” Executive Head Jacqueline Aitchison says.
Edu Inc has also introduced ‘The Alumni Scholarship’, which affords the opportunity for alumni to make a minimum monthly contribution of R50 per month towards a bursary for one of these children.
Edu Inc counts among its alumni some of South Africa’s emerging sporting and cultural stars, who benefitted from the school’s personalised attention as well as their accommodation of their rigorous training schedules within the academic programme.
“There are so many deserving children out there with the potential to be one of the worlds’ next greats, and this provides an opportunity for them to have that potential cultivated,” she adds.
Edu Inc Looking Forward
While academic excellence is prioritised – Edu Inc has an immaculate IEB matric pass record (seven out of seven years) – the school instils in each of their learners the notion of the ‘portfolio of self’ as a principle of lifelong learning.
“We believe traditional approaches to schooling and written school leaving examinations are not sufficient to prepare our students to meet the challenges of the future,” Headmaster Gershom Aitchison says.
Aitchison believes that there is a correlation between the approach one takes to education and children’s mental and social wellbeing.
“Preparing our youth for the future involves developing similar skill sets to those that will be required of them in the modern workplace,” he adds. These skills embrace their intellect, emotional intelligence and their ability to manage adversity.
Gershom’s views are endorsed by author Sir Ken Robinson who observes that, “The more complex the world becomes, the more creative we need to be to meet its challenges”.
Edu Inc believes the road to excellence for the learner lies in constant reflection of what works, an evaluation of what didn’t work, and making a series of small adjustments towards personal victory conditions and their ultimate success.
“It may be more messy but at the end of the day one’s aim is to instil within each learner a sufficient sense of self able to navigate the multiple influences that can detract from their personal wellbeing,” Gershom says.
“As part of developing a portfolio of self, we encourage each person involved in our school (teachers and students) to bring their passions and interests to bear in their overall skill set.Among our students are E-sports, equestrian, golf and archery champions for example, and it is our role as educators to accommodate the demands of their fields of interest and buildthem into their curricula. Our classes of 10-12 students allow for this while holding true to the tenet of personal development and growth for future readiness,” Jacqueline says.“We look back on our first decade with immense pride. From a zero base back in 2013, we have built a highly successful school that is rethinking the way today’s young people should be educated,” Jacqueline concludes.
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