Scandal Hits Oprah’s African School
The rules at Oprah Winfrey’s upscale school at Henley-on-Klip near Johannesburg are apparently so strict that even the parents are complaining.
That’s the word from upset parents, who say the school rules make it difficult for them to keep contact with their children. They would have aired their concerns during a satellite link-up with the Queen of Talk a week ago, but that was cancelled at short notice by the school’s management body.
The girls could receive visitors every fortnight, but parents can now only visit them once a month.
Frances Mans, foster mother of Gweneth Mulder, said last week she would take her daughter out of the school if the rules were not changed. “Surely this isn’t a prison?”
Cellphones and e-mail correspondence are out of bounds during the week, and girls are only allowed to phone their parents at weekends. The maximum number of visitors per pupil is four, and visits have to be approved by the school at least two weeks in advance. Mans said she had to wait at the security gate for half an hour to be signed in when she went to visit her daughter last Sunday. “It was a nightmare. We had only two hours to see my child. Surely this isn’t a prison or an institution?” The names of visitors must also match those on the security guard’s list before guests are allowed in.
Parents are not allowed to smuggle junk food in to the girls past the matrons. “Then the girls lose points,” says Mans.
The girls get points for “good behaviour”, which they can exchange at a school shop for clothes and caps. “The poor children are not even allowed to have any treats. Their diet is fruit, yoghurt and sandwiches. When they go on holiday for a month in April they’ll be stuffing themselves with sweets and chocolates in any case.”
Angela Conradie, whose daughter Michelle is at the school, says she’s just as upset about the strict visiting times. “Michelle phones me in tears sometimes, and then I don’t know what to say to her,” says Conradie.
John Samuels, the executive head of the school, confirmed that only one visit a month would be allowed in future. This means that if a girl has five siblings, she will only be able to see all of them over a period of three months.
Samuels says he sees nothing wrong with the system. “We have the security and well-being of the girls at heart, in every respect. They are our priority. If there’s too much movement on the premises at the weekend, it disturbs the school spirit.”
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On March 11th 2007, Lisa wrote:
This is a boarding school. Google out your nearest boarding school and you’ll find the rules are very similar to O’s academy. My brother goes to boarding school and the rules are much worse.
Boarding school is not like public school. It’s extremely challenging with shit loads of homework. These girls can’t be on the phone everynight because they won’t be able to finish their homework. They are being groomed for leadership. Bed time is always early at boarding schools.
Also, what the article fails to mention is the scandal surrounding the parents. When the parents were visiting their daughters on the weekdays the visits were extremely long and the parents were SMUGGLING OUT FOOD, LINENS, BOOKS, ETC! The parents were asking their daughter to do inappropriate things. These parents are not typical boarding school parents. They don’t have money and are poor. The administrators found this stuff out and had to make a difficult decision to limit the visits.
Lastly, South Africa has high crime, rape and kidnapping. They’ve got to limit the visitors because these girls are also prime for kidnapping. Everybody knows Oprah’s got money.
PS Leave Oprah alone and go make a difference.
On March 12th 2007, Marcie D wrote:
Didn’t the parents know what they were getting into when they signed their daughters up for this school?
And probably the parents aren’t educated and don’t know what rules are when it comes to education.
On March 12th 2007, school musical plays » Scandal Hits Oprah’s African School wrote:
[...] Original post by Castina [...]
On March 12th 2007, Esther wrote:
It is ridiculous that these parents are complaining about the rules set for Oprah’s school. I think that they should appreciate the fact that their children have this golden opportunity to be well off tomorrow.
I am from Africa and went to a boarding school. My visiting time was once a month for an hour. After one hour when the bell rings, your visitor better be out of the gate. Those were the same rules that we went through and we did not die from it instead we obeyed it and our parents too. And looking back I think those were the best rules for a girl’s school. You have to be strick on them, otherwise you see babies coming from everywhere.
It hurts me so much to see how ungrateful these people are. There are millions of children who would like this kind of opportunity. I wish Oprah had done it in a West African country. They would have appreciated it more because there are kids who need this kind of help.
Cell phones and emails distract kids, so it’s good that they use that only on weekends. If they kids are safe, their supplies are free and they have everything they need, I see no reason why parents should go there every week. Apparently they just want to go and hang out at the school since the campus is beautiful. Leave them alone and let them study. Oprah is just helping your kids so that they will not suffer like the rest of the unfortunate kids.
And for the lady who is so mad at the set rules that if they do not change them she will take her kid out of the school. I hope she does not., but if she does, her kid will hate her for the rest of her life.
Thanks!
On March 12th 2007, Lovher wrote:
Well take your kids out then, I’m sure there is a waiting list a mile long to get in that school. Those kids are there to make something of themselve. They need to stay focused on the prize, those kids are gonna be the future. Let that school change the world with them and keep them healthy for the journey.
On March 12th 2007, RoBBs Celeb OOps » Blog Archive » Oprah s South African school for girls is more like a prison, say parents wrote:
[...] parents are saying that their 11-12 year-old daughters are miserable and they will be forced to remove them from the all-expenses paid school they once saw as an [...]
On March 12th 2007, CelebFace: All the gossip, juicy rumors and scandals! wrote:
[...] parents are saying that their 11-12 year-old daughters are miserable and they will be forced to remove them from the all-expenses paid school they once saw as an [...]
On March 12th 2007, claudette wrote:
Great comments,even some of the poorest can still be some of the the most ungreatful.Oprah can win for losing,damm if she do damm if she don’t.
On March 13th 2007, SoYouAreFamous.com » Blog Archive » Oprah’s South African school for girls is more like a prison, say parents wrote:
[...] parents are saying that their 11-12 year-old daughters are miserable and they will be forced to remove them from the all-expenses paid school they once saw as an [...]
On March 13th 2007, NippleSlip.ORG » Blog Archive » Oprah’s South African school for girls is more like a prison, say parents wrote:
[...] parents are saying that their 11-12 year-old daughters are miserable and they will be forced to remove them from the all-expenses paid school they once saw as an [...]
On March 13th 2007, blkgrl wrote:
These parents sound like Westerners. I doubt the parents of these underprivileged girls are complaining about lack of cell phones & chocolates. Their words are probably twisted. They may have been asked what’s different about having their child away from home and this is what they said. They probably left out the part where the parents gave all the positive benefits & that those are minor things. (BTW, American boarding schools are no different. D@mn the media for trying to shed a negative light on such a positive thing. ‘Scandal’ indeed.)
I say, if you have a problem, take your daughter home and left another girl take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On March 14th 2007, Jean Wellington wrote:
All successful school/institution must have rules. Without rules there will be chaos. I am sure the young ladies/students and their parents and guardian were provided with information of the rules of the school. I am sure the outcome and success of these students if they apply themselves and abide by the rules of the school will be worth much more than what critics have to say.
Oprah, you are doing a great job for these ladies. Do not bend your rules to suit anyone. We can always find people to criticize others but what are they doing to help anyone… Keep up the good word, OPRAH !!!
On October 3rd 2007, Lyz wrote:
I am South African and come from a previously disadvantaged background myself. I know that the rules of Oprahs school may sound a bit strict/harsh, especially to someone coming from a public school, however, this is the norm, especially in South Africa. I, myself attended a public primary school and a private high school, I have many cousins who attended public boarding schools and private boarding schools. The rules in general are very similar. It took me almost a year to adjust, but once I got into the scheme of things, everything just felt normal. It tought me discipline, and later on in life I became self-disciplined. To a child, this seems harsh in the beginning but one learns to accept it and live within those boundaries. Children need to have rules in order to know what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. This helps us to cope with the laws outside the walls of our schools…the laws of our countries, rules at work, etc.
Now, to explain some parents’ attitudes/responses to these rules one has to understand how they have been socialized and a long history into it, but I’ll be as concise as possible. Many of these parents/guardians are uneducated and are also from underprivaledged backgrounds. A lot of them have no understanding of what is socially acceptable and what is not.e.g. asking your child to bring food from the school, etc. In a community like South Africa, we are tought to share with one another, when one goes to visit at a friends house, they sometimes give one food to take home, it is in fact customary in some cultures. Now, these parents or guardians may seem to have no regard for the school rules or are apalled by them as they are not used to being confined or subject to such rules. This is one of the key differences between public & private schools. These rules are strictly enforced and have to be adhered to. In fact we had to pay quite a large some of money to be sent to such schools, I learned that with great privalages comes great responsibility and with great responsibility comes discipline.
This kind of ignorance is wide spread in my country and will continue this way for as long as my people remain uneducated. Until we can completely remove the remnance of apartheid, it will take many years to be overcome. One needs to think beyond the rules, these young ladies are being moulded at a young age to be leaders but in order to lead, one needs to first know how to follow. I myself was subject to many rules, I used to call some of those rules stupid and silly get upset. One has to remember that these are teenage girls we are dealing with, so there will be that tendency to slight rebellion. I can guaruntee that 99% of the girls from my school are successfull (including those from poor backgrounds) enjoying lifes social freedoms and happily persuing their dreams. It is thus in this great lack of understanding that these parents act this way. Most of my other friends who attended public schools are single parents or a pregnant or fell pregnant in grade8 with low income jobs that can barely support themselves, let alone their children.
I have a few friends from Europe and the USA, some of whom were exchange students in my high school. I learned from them that in European public schools, there aren’t such strict rules and that students learn to grow and be self disciplined. They too managed to adjust to our school rules. One needs to remember that this is Africa…no, this is South Africa, we are practically a new nation..learning, growing and trying to be the best that we can be with this new found freedom.
The rules in Oprahs school are definately on par with those of private schools around my country. I would like to take my hat off to her and all those who have contributed as it is a wonderful deed they are doing for these girls. They may not see it now, but they will think of it as the beginning of one of their greatest adventures…life! Those girls will definately have great regrets should they decide to leave the school now, as 10 years down the line when they see how successful their friends who completed their studies in the school are.
I would further like to add that South Africans are very greatful people, to Oprah and for what she is doing for our country. With all the cultures and the integration of Western culture, there is an over-lap and thus lots of people are easily influenced by the media and western views. Add this to a group of ignorant people and it could spell disaster.
I think Oprah herself understands all the challenges we face in South Africa, where we come from, what we have achieved thus far, and where we’re going. The toll that apartheid has taken on this country will not be rectified for at least another 30years and through educating young girls in this country, we can help speed up the process.
Oh, & btw these rules are in no way an infringement on human rights. Believe me, in our South African constitution, we know tons about our rights and there is no such as an absolute right in any case!
Thanks
On October 19th 2007, Nizaam wrote:
Typical South Africans….
Getting something for free…. and then bite the hand that feeds you…
I’m so sick of this stupid south African mentality…
On October 30th 2007, serah wrote:
Oprah has given these young ladies a chance to make something of their lives, an opportunity to embetter themselves, and all they can gripe about is not being able to use their phones and send emails?How ungrateful can one be?I say pull your kids out the school and let other kids enrichen themselves with this opportunity!
How sad!!
On October 31st 2007, binger wrote:
Quite frankly this is why I feel she should have openend in Mississippi where she is from. Believe me there are people there (black and white) just as poor as Oprah was (if not worst) when she was growing up. I stopped in one town on while on a road trip and literally cried myself to sleep that night after seeing the shacks some where living in.
On November 1st 2007, Sabrina wrote:
Question 1.
How can these families afford a cell phone and the cell phone bill?
I can barely afford my cell phone bill and I make decent money and I do not live in the third world.
Question 2.
How can these families afford to travel to see their children every weekend? I have an Aunt who is sick; I can’t afford to see here every week. She lives 5 hours away from me.
Quesiton 3.
If this educational intuition is awful, why don’t they remove their children from the school?
On November 3rd 2007, Shirley wrote:
Oprah has money. That is why she is sharing a great adventure and oppertunity for girls who otherwiswe would have nothing. Don’t bite the hand that gives so freely. I think the person who said she should have a school in the U.S, for so many poor and hungry children both black and white would be a great idea.To steal food and linnens etc from the school is scandelous and disgraceful. What is wrong with those parents? They have to be very ungrateful and stupid not to want their children to have such a miracle given to them .God bless you Oprah!!I am a lady very near 80 years old.
On November 13th 2007, flaubert tchato wrote:
oprah,waoh”’first of all,you are an angel and i believe you can hear the voice of God your own way…So,don’t allow any evil spirit to distract you,as far as i see that is the devil raising is ugly head to bring in some chaos . nb…..My advise to you is to take out any of such ungreatfull girls and replace them with no guilt in your mind and moove on…
God will give you wisdom and the peace you need(oprah),you are a blessing to nations ..love yah(agape).
On February 13th 2008, najaad wrote:
oprah is really great women ..i love here so muchI love that I was small Way..oprah is unblivebole women ..am somaliyan girl and i dont know english very well ..but i wan say that …she do many think to me but she dont know that ..not only me million people i wish i help like here the people …