THE HISTORY AND TRADTION BETWEEN D.H.S AND D.P.H.S

“From small beginnings”

Part 2.

The collection of boys were taught in one hall which was divided into classrooms by curtains. Mr Stubbs taught the older boys on the stage. The noise from the “adjoining” classrooms was highly disruptive but Mr. Stubbs would never listen to complaints that a pupil could not concentrate because of the noise.

One feature of the 1910 school, which remains today, was the choir, which in the early days was successful trained by Mr Stubbs, himself. Such was the quality of the Preparatory Section Choir that they were invited to sing at the DHS prize giving ceremonies.

The Durban High Preparatory Section, under Mr Stubbs, proved to be such a success that it very quickly outgrew its one building premises. In 1912, Mr Stubbs was asked by the Educational Department to work with an architect to design and build a new school in Gordon Road, the site where the current school is situated. The original building was finally occupied in 1913. They still today, form the central structure of the school but are now dwarfed by the new buildings.

The new school opened in August 1913 with 150 pupils and a staff of four teachers under Mr Stubbs who was now the acting Head Master. By the end of August an extra three staff and another 21 pupils had joined the school. The move to Gordon Road site proved a huge success and by the end of 1914 the school had grown to 230 pupils and eight staff members. Dutch and French were also added to the curriculum which included subjects such as history, geography, writing, arithmetic, reading and recitation.

The new school was built in a three-sided design around a central lawn. The current Media Centre was the original school hall. There was space for sports fields although Mr Stubbs had plans of acquiring a piece of vacant land adjacent to the School. The Education Department refused his proposal and on that piece of land, Gordan Road Girls School was built. DPHS, years later had to acquire land under housing to expand its sporting fields.

The list of out of town boys grew and a boarding establishment was needed. In 1915 a suitable house was found at 102 Lambert Road, where Mr Stubbs and his family lived.