St David's Marist, Inanda


St David's Marist Inanda is a private English medium Roman Catholic preparatory and high school for boys in Inanda, a suburb of Sandton, South Africa, overlooking the Sandton CBD to the north. St David's Marist Inanda also has a campus in Alexandra, just east of the Sandton CBD. The school was established in 1941 by the Marist Brothers.

History

The school's roots began in post-revolution France. The Marist Order, also known as the Little Brothers of Mary, was founded by the Father Marcellin Champagnat to educate young children in 1817, especially the neglected or those suffering from poverty. The order has since spread throughout the world. The Maris Order arrived in Johannesburg in 1889, three years after the founding of the city. They were among the first to establish a boys' only school in the little mining town that was to become the centre of business and finance in South Africa. The location was at Koch St in downtown Johannesburg.
A second Marist Campus and school was established in Observatory in 1924 but it soon became apparent that the school premises in Koch St were becoming inadequate as the city grew and encroached on the property. As both Koch St and Observatory campuses quickly became oversubscribed additional property was sought for a new school. Land was purchased in Inanda, then a semi-rural area north of Johannesburg, and building commenced in 1940. St David's opened in 1941 as a private boarding school, initially as the Marist prep school campus for Marist Koch St and Marist Observatory. However, it became apparent that there was demand for the boys to carry on at the same campus and the first matriculation group completed their schooling at St David's in 1948. By 1953 the school had 475 pupils, 200 of them being boarders. In 1963 the school acquired another 45 acres of land, making it the largest Marist establishment in South Africa.

St David's today

As of 2022, the school has over 1,400 pupils. The school is separated into Junior Preparatory, Preparatory and College, the high school. The Preparatory School has 640 boys and the College over 800 boys.

Uniform

Students wear a navy blue blazer with vertical gold stripes and a navy blue tie with diagonal gold stripes. The Marist Monogram appears on the pocket of the blazer. A "Half Colours" tie is awarded to students excelling in academics or any of the school's sports, cultural, or service activities. "Full Colours" are awarded to individuals who distinguish themselves as being one of the best in their sport or other disciplines. The 1st team colours, worn by the boys representing the school for various sports at the highest level, is black and gold. The variance from the traditional royal blue and gold was created in the early days to avoid a clash with the colours of sporting rival Marist Observatory, and so it was decided to use the colours of St David, the Catholic patron saint of Wales and of the school, which are black and gold.

Hierarchy and school structures

The Matrics constitute the leadership body of the school, known as the Matric Leadership Group. Between twelve and fourteen grade 11 boys are elected by the school in October to constitute the Prefect body for the following year. They take over the leadership of the school in mid-October when the Matrics commence their study leave.
The school runs on the house system. St David's pastoral care system is built on the idea that each boy is on his own journey, that there is no 'one size fits all' educational process, and that boys need to feel like this is home. The system is anchored by the profound words of our founder, Marcellin Champagnat: "If you want to teach young people, first you must love them and love them all equally." Our house system plays a pivotal role in fostering leadership and character development and ensuring young boys become young gentlemen through holistic growth.
The House system at St David's is built around the everyday journey of a boy who walks the corridors of this school. All boys are allocated to one of the eight houses listed below. There, he will create a sense of identity, pride and belonging. This will become his family of brothers for the rest of his life.
When the school was first founded the number of boys warranted only 3 houses. These original houses were:
  • Benedict House : named after St Marcellin Champagnat, the founder of the Marist Brothers whose full name was Marcellin Jospeh Benedict Champagnat. Many other Marist Schools have a Benedict House or have an association to the name Benedict so it is a link to many Marist schools and honours the ideals of our founder..
  • College House : Said to be the original "College House" that High School boys were allocated to in the early days when numbers were small and named after The College.
  • Osmond House : was named after the Marist Brother Provincial, Brother Osmond, when St David's started. He was a significant force in establishing the Inanda school, guiding it from a small kindergarten to a full school to matric.
Soon as the school grew another house was established to accommodate the growing number of boys...
  • The Bishops House : This was one of the first new houses introduced as the college grew. It is believed to be named in honour of the Bishops of Johannesburg who played a pivotal role in establishing the new School in the northern part of Johannesburg.
This was the structure of the school for many years. The Prep school is still structured across thes 4 houses. However as the high school grew over the years and particularly in the last decade, it eventually became necessary to restructure the house system. A few years ago an additional 4 houses were added.
  • Daswa House : named after the Blessèd Benedict Daswa who was born in 1946 in Thohoyandou. A teacher and principal, an exemplary husband and father, and a community builder in his Catholic parish, Benedict Daswa was martyred for his faith in 1990. With his beatification as Blessèd, he is likely to be South Africa's first saint and an example for all to follow.
  • Jude House : The second house to be named after one of the Marist Brothers, Br Jude Pieterse was an icon in the Marist world, whose work was pivotal in creating open schools in South Africa. He not only contributed to the fabric of non-racial education, but his insight and foresight in establishing structures for the future have ensured the sustainability of our schools and therefore the Marist mission in Southern Africa.
  • Plaatjie House : A true scholar, Solomon Tshekisho "Sol" Plaatje was an accomplished intellectual, teacher, court interpreter, newspaper editor, politician, linguist, translator, writer and novelist at a time when most people of colour were significantly marginalised in South Africa. A committed Christian, Plaatjie organised a fellowship group called the Christian Brotherhood at Kimberley. One of the most gifted South Africans of his time, he translated Shakespearean plays into Tswana, and his novel, Mhudi, is an enduring legacy for the world. It was only many years later that Plaatjie began to receive the recognition he deserved for the impact he had had on so many aspects of our lives in South Africa, his epitaph translated reads "Rest in Peace Morolong, You Servant of Africa". St David's Plaatjie boys honour him too.
  • Selima House : Phineas Selima began working for the Marist Brothers at St David's as a young man in 1958, gardening & washing dishes. In 1963 he was tasked with admin responsibilities in the Bursar's office and Print Room. For over 50 years he never once took a sick day and remembered everyone's name. His engagements with people embodied everything it means to be Marist: simplicity, modesty, humility and love of his work. He had a quiet presence, warmth and was a man of rich faith. Every boy and staff member at St David's in those years Phineas worked there remembers him fondly.

Sporting tradition

Students participate in summer and winter sports, teams are arranged according to age groups to compete against other schools. The primary sports in the high school are rugby union, cricket, soccer, swimming, waterpolo and hockey. In winter, the school fields about 15 rugby teams and 13 hockey teams every week. The school also has tennis, canoeing, cross country and basketball. Participating in and supporting sport is compulsory at St David's.
The sports that are offered in the school are:

Cultural tradition

The school has choirs, bands and private instrument tuition. Annual events include inter-House music and play competitions, as well as yearly major dramatic productions. Like sport, participating in cultural activities is compulsory.

Service and Leadership

Participating in the many service and outreach programmes that the school supports and often leads is not just an activity at St David's. There have been multiple social development initiatives that the school sponsors and actively engages in. Some are co-sponsored by the Marist Brothers or the Catholic Church, and many are NGOs or organisations all aimed at uplifting and helping those less fortunate, vulnerable and in need of help, whatever that may. Leadership segues with service, as servant leaders have the most impact on others. This directly corresponds to our Marist ethos and values: Simplicity, Presence, Love of Work, Family Spirit, and In the Way of Mary.

Notable alumni