The Johannesburg Hospital School

The Johannesburg Hospital School is situated inside the hospital on the ninth floor yellow block 292. Johannesburg Hospital School was established in 1923 and was run by volunteers who visited the sick children in their wards. In 1960 the school was taken over by the education officials who appointed teachers.

In August 1992 the school was taken over by the then Transvaal Department of Education following a temporary closure due to the decrease in the number of learners with four teachers. For the past nine years the school has been offering learners a full curriculum from Grade R to Grade 12 and in 2004 the first Grade 12 learner successfully completed her matric exams. At present the school consists of ten educators and about 150 learners. The school offers OBE learning areas and the subjects for the Further Education and Training Phase, Zulu, Xhosa, Sesotho, Sepedi, Setswana, English, Afrikaans, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Life Orientation, Travel and Tourism, Accounting, Business Economics, Computer Application Technology. Operating under the auspices of the Department of Education, the school offers chronically and terminally children the opportunity to be treated in the hospital without losing out on their schooling.

The school has undergone a major revamp in May 2008 following the involvement of Medscheme who contributed
R500 000. The new refurbishment has seen separate classrooms built, a computer centre installed and walls painted in bright colours. This has enabled learners access to better facilities aimed at improving the quality of education compared to previously being cramped in one room for all grades where it was hard to hear or concentrate.

Learners well enough to leave the wards go to classes. This reduces feelings of depression and normalizes their stay in the hospital.