Introduction

What are the ingredients of a school with tradition and distinction?

The history of such a school together with the peculiar circumstances surrounding its founding, its human resources and its environment would be important components. No less important would be its past and continued academic, cultural and sporting record. A further aspect of note would be the importance of its place in our society, with particular reference to the men it has produced and how their contributions have benefited their country and fellow South Africans. To these should certainly be added the pride that the school family of boys, parents, teachers, ex-teachers, old boys and friends have in its inheritance and continued achievements.

Throughout Southern Africa, Paarl Boys' High has long been regarded (and still is) as a school with tradition and distinction.

Stigting

Alles het op 6 Februarie 1868 begin toe daar in die Paarl 'n openbare vergadering gehou is oor die wenslikheid van die stigting van 'n openbare skool. Tydens 'n opvolgvergadering op 30 Maart, is daar besluit om voort te gaan met die stigting van 'n "First Class Public School".

Eeerwaarde George Jeffreys van Mowbray is as eerste skoolhoof aangestel met ingang Julie 1868. Die medium van onderrig sou Engels wees, in ooreenstemming met die regeringsbeleid wat vir alle openbare skole gegeld het.

Op 15 Julie 1868 het die skool begin funksioneer met 'n leerlingtal van slegs 4 seuns. Aanvanklik is die skool gehuisves in 'n graanskuur of pakhuis op Zeederbergplein en was dit bekend as "The Paarl First Class Public School". Vanaf 1877 was die skool saam met die Eersteklasskool vir Meisies, bekend as die "Paarlse Opvoedingsinstituut". Vanaf 1900 is die naam verander na "De Paarlsche Hoogere School voor Jongens" (Jongens Hogere School) of die "Boys' High", alhoewel skoolkomiteenotules van die tagtigerjare reeds na die Nederlandse vorm van die naam verwys het.

Headmasters

They were, among many others:

Rev. George Jeffreys (July 1868 to May 1873)
Mr James Rettie (January 1889 to December 1895)
Mr J. Inglis (July 1897 to September 1897)

Mr TW Engela (1975 to 1989)
Mr L Knoetze (1990 to 2007)
Mr D Swart (2007 - )

Of interest is that Mr Rettie resigned as headmaster of Paarl Gymnasium to be appointed in the same capacity at the "Public School".

Na 'n aanvanklike onsekere begin het die skool 'n dinamiese krag geword onder die bekwame leiding van mnr. PJ du Pré le Roux (1901 - 1923). Mnr. Le Roux word algemeen beskou as die eintlike stigter van die Hoër Jongenskool. Tydens sy termyn as hoof het die eerste matriekklas binne sewe jaar vanaf 7 tot 47 leerlinge vermeerder, is daar op 'n skoolwapen en -kleure besluit, is die skoolkoshuise Monte Bello (1901), Bellevue (1904), Villieria (1907), Berlyn (1908) en Imhoff (1921) gebou, is die eerste jaarblad gepubliseer, is die skoolsaal in 1909 gebou en is die skoollied in 1913 gekomponeer.

In 1955 the primary section of Paarl Boys' High became a separate school. The first headmaster of Paarl Boys' Primary was Mr MJ Terblanche. In 1981 he was succeeded by Mr FJ Kotze as principal

Geboue

Die eerste gebou, wat vanaf 15 Julie 1868 die skool gehuisves het, was 'n graanskuur of pakhuis op Zeederbergplein. Dit het aan mnr. D. Beyers behoort. Op 15 Oktober 1869 is die skool verskuif na die eiendom van mnr. J.A.J. Roos op Kerkplein. In Januarie 1871 is 'n gebou in Zionstraat, wat aan mnr. Van der Lingen behoort het, as skoolgebou betrek.

Weens 'n toename in die leerlingtal, is die eiendom Rozenfontein van mnr. G. Louw aangekoop en word die eerste ware skoolgebou hier op 30 Maart 1876 betrek. Hier het die skool 25 jaar lank gebly.

The present school site, originally the farm Berlyn, was purchased from Mr J.J. Moll, although the property was still registered in the name of Mr P.J. Malherbe (Mr Moll bought it from Mr Malherbe, but there was no official transfer as yet)

The school building was completed at the beginning of July 1900 and normal school activities started on the 18th of July. The first hostel, Monte Bello, was completed shortly afterwards, in January 1901. Further hostels to be added were Bellevue (1904), Villieria (1907), Berlyn (1908) and Imhoff (1921). None of these hostels are used as such today. Bellevue and Imhoff have been demolished and rebuilt, while Villieria and Berlyn no longer belong to the school.

In 1909 is die skoolsaal aangebou en 'n nuwe Wetenskap- en Houtwerkvleuel is in 1912 voltooi. In 1915 is 'n ry klaskamers langs Auretstraat aangebou. In 1936 is Werda gebou en in 1939 is 'n tweede verdieping, sowel as 'n biblioteek en gimnastieksaal tot die skool se hoofgebou toegevoeg. In 1940 is nog 'n ry klaskamers gebou, in 1961 'n nuwe Imhoff-koshuis in Auretstraat, en in 1962 'n nuwe Houtwerkvleuel. Op 16 Oktober 1980 is die skool se swembad amptelik in gebruik geneem.

In Februarie 1981 is daar begin om die bestaande gebouekompleks op te knap, te verander en uit te brei. Die nuwe gebou, wat bestaan het uit 'n nuwe skoolsaal, 'n nuwe laboratorium- en klaskamerblok en 'n nuwe omskepte Houtwerkblok, is reeds gedurende 1983 betrek.

'n Volledig toegeruste gimnasium (vernoem na oudskolier David Frost) is in die negentigs aangebou. In 2003 is daar ook 'n splinternuwe en ultra-moderne rekenaarsentrum ingerig.

Enrolment

When the school started on 15 July 1868, only four pupils were present on the first day.

The first pupil who matriculated at Boys' High was Carel Voigt in 1874.

Pogings tot amalgamasie
Daar was in die verlede nie minder as vier pogings om die skool van sy huidige karakter te ontneem nie.

Die eerste poging, om met Gimnasium te amalgameer, het reeds tydens die stigtingsproses plaasgevind, maar is op 24 Maart 1868 laat vaar. 'n Tweede poging is aan die einde van 1870 en begin 1871 deur ds. Van der Wall aangewend om die "Paarl First Class Public School" met Gimnasium te laat saamsmelt. Hierdie poging het egter ook misluk vanweë botsende standpunte oor die medium van onderrig en godsdiensonderrig.

In 1897, after a public meeting that was held on May 15 in Paarl Town Hall, a proposal was made in favour of the merging of the two existing boys' schools into a college in order to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. This resolution, however, was never implemented, but it did have the effect of hastening the resolve of the commitee of th Paarl Educational Institute to build a new and better school.

The fourth attempt at amalgamation occurred in 1970 when a decision was taken to merge Paarl Boys' High School with Paarl Girls' High. A farm in Southern Paarl, Die Nieuwe Plantatie, was acquired as a site for the proposed new school and the planning of the whole project had almost reached the stage of tender when the idea was abandoned in October 1975. This almost lead to the end of the traditions and character of the Paarl Boys' High School as we know it today.

Elke ware Boishaaier is trots op hierdie geskiedenis: dit is immers die grondlegging van die waardes en tradisies van die moderne Boishaai-etos. Boishaai oorleef steeds as die bastion van die balans tussen wat eietyds en tradisioneel is. En dit is met daardie unieke gees, die uitvloeisel van 136 jaar se bestaan, wat Boishaai hom posisioneer vir die toekoms.