Long since known as a shining beacon in the history of South Africa’s education, Stellenbosch is the oldest established town in the country. The Dutch Reformed Church found a parish here as early as 1685 and regular school instruction started. The Cape Colony started operating a system of centrally controlled Public Schools in the 1840′s and under this system, the town was recognized as a divisional centre for education.
Another of the town’s older education institutions, the Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church was established in 1859 There was even money collected a few years later for a gymnasium to be built. This was achieved in a very short time. In 1866 the local public school was recognized as a ‘First Class Public School’ under the new Education Act. The school became known as the Stellenbosch Gymnasium. The then Board of Examiners was replaced by the Examining University of the Cape of Good Hope in 1873 thus increasing standards and demanding more advanced teaching. The Stellenbosch Gymnasium set up its own professorial division in 1874 to help meet this new demand. This was called the Arts Department and could be considered as the start of today’s Faculties of Arts and Science.
On celebrating its 200th anniversary in the year 1879, the town resolved to erect a suitable College building to house the new found Arts Department. This was approved by the Prime Minister of the time and a considerable amount was given for the project on condition that the public attributed a like amount. On the 22nd of December 1880 the foundation stone of the new building was laid. The formal opening of the new building took place on 6 November 1886 and a year later, in her jubilee year, Queen Victoria consented to the name being changed to the Victoria College of Stellenbosch.
Throughout the following years many departments were added to the new Victoria College, namely the Agricultural department which was later moved to Elsenberg, the Physics Laboratory and the Chirstian Marias Library. Wanting to extend University activities a separation of the chairs of Philosophy and English Literature and Greek and Latin took place. They also established chairs in Zoologoy, Botany, History and Applied Mathematics.
Mr Jan Marais of Coetzenburg eventually made the transition to University status possible in 1918 by bequeathing a very generous sum to the cause of higher education. This was approved and the College became the University of Stellenbosch. The students numbers have grown since then from about 500 to 22 000. The University continues to change and adapt today to suit the needs of the country’s education and student training.
Visit the oldest town in South Africa with its stunning university campus. Make a reservation in one of the fabulous Stellenbosch accommodation on offer and indulge in all the exciting Stellenbosch activities. This article, How to get the best university education in South Africa has free reprint rights.
