Philosophy

SJMC believes in educating the whole person and recognises that humans have spiritual, physical, intellectual and emotional sides to them – all of which are taken into account in the curriculum followed at the school. The policy of inclusion is clearly visible through the school’s Special Needs Unit available on the campus.

The school is divided into the following units: Pre-Primary, Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase and Senior School.

In each phase there is a different emphasis and a correlation with developmental stages. Montessori classes run parallel with Mainstream classes from Pre-Primary to Grade 6. St Joseph’s is also one of a few schools offering Montessori education within the structure of a conventional school.

Chapel worship and a vibrant religious education programme are key components of school life. Traditional Marist values of tolerance, kindness and mutual respect, tempered by a deep commitment to multi-culturalism, lie at the heart of the St Joseph’s success story.

The school was a pioneer of open schooling in the apartheid era in 1976. Once a white, boys-only senior school, SJMC has evolved over the years into an exciting multi-cultural, fully co-educational institution extending from Pre-Primary to Grade 12. Today the school’s peaceful and constructive atmosphere bears testimony to the vision of its earlier leadership and to the hope inherent in the new South Africa. Learners at St Joseph’s Marist College work and play in a setting that reflects the real world. A microcosm of society, the school is a splendid preparation for life in South Africa and a world undergoing rapid globalisation.

Belonging to the Marist family ensures that the school is kept in touch nationally with the four other Marist schools. Internationally we are one of 800 Marist schools located in 82 countries. The sound attitudes of St Marcellin Champagnat (founder of the Marist Order) are central to all that the school does.