Situational Analysis: Paterson High School

Paterson High School is situated in Schauderville, in the northern areas of Port

Elizabeth and has been in operation for 91 years. Since the school was first established
many generations of families have been educated at this school. Paterson is situated in
an area where gansterism and crime is a norm to many of the learners; however, the
school has a proud tradition of teaching learners to be safe and respectful.
Paterson High School has a student population of 903 students ranging from grade 8 to
grade 12, from diverse social and cultural backgrounds. 259 learners are taught in an
Afrikaans medium and 644 learners are taught in an English medium. Over 70% of the
learners at Paterson High School come from a Xhosa background. The school also has
many leaners from Zimbabwean, Congolese, Somalia and Islamic backgrounds.
Grade
8
9
10
11
12

Breakdown of learners in grades

Male
Female
105
154
109
99
87
69
73
77
60
70
TOTAL: 903

Total
259
208
156
150
130

All staff are tertiary qualified and are deeply committed. The school believes in
welcoming everyone, regardless of background or situation. The school prides itself on
being friendly, approachable and organized.
The average number of learners in a class is between 30 and 35, however there are 2
grade 8 classes with 45 AND 47 learners. The learners in grades 8 and 9 (GET Phase)
are expected to study 9 compulsory subjects which are:

Afrikaans Home Language or Afrikaans First Additional Language

English Home Language or English First Additional Language
Mathematics
Life Orientation
Natural Sciences
Technology
Arts and Culture
Economic Management Sciences
Social Sciences

The learners in grades 10, 11 and 12 are expected to study 7 subjects, of which 4 are
compulsory and 3 are chosen from a particular combination. The subjects and the
combinations are as follows:

Afrikaans Home Language or Afrikaans First Additional Language

English Home Language or English First Additional Language
Mathematics or Mathematical Literacy
Life Orientation
Business Studies or Physical Sciences or History
Accounting or Consumer Studies or Travel and Tourism or Geography
Life Sciences or Economics

Paterson High School has the following sports and extramural activities:

Rugby
Soccer
Girls and boys hockey
Netball
Spelling Bee
Debating Team
Peer Educators
A seeds of peace program
Toastmasters

The following leadership positions opportunities are created for the learners:

Head girl/Head boy

Head Prefects
Prefects
Class Monitors
RCL (Representative Council of Learners)
SAICA support leaders (learners are sent for training to help leaners who have
problems with substance abuse at school)

The Learning Environment

Paterson High School is situated in an area where unemployment is very high. Most of
the learners parents are not able to pay school fees. Paterson is a very good school
and teachers go out of their way to make teaching a fun and exciting experience,
however, there is a lack of resources at the school. The classrooms have enough desks

for the learners to sit in, but there are not many resources such as whiteboards,
overhead projectors or science laboratories. Each class has a chalkboard and that is as
far as the teaching aid/media goes. It really takes innovation from the teacher to create
an interesting lesson. Grades 8 and 9 are not supplied with textbooks, so teachers often
have to spend a large amount of time copying notes for the learners. Grades 10 to 12
are supplied with textbooks in their various subjects. The school is in need of a science
laboratory, so learners are restricted when having to do experiments. The school does
not have a computer lab, so learners are not able to access the internet and familiarize
themselves with technology.
Discipline
At Paterson High School teachers are faced with a number of disciplinary problems on a
daily basis. The school does have a very detailed code of conduct; however, there are
learners who choose to ignore the code of conduct. The disciplinary action taken
against learners differs from learner to learner and depends on the severity of the
offence.