Open letter to St. Stithians and Sally James

This site doesn't seem to like me posting a link. I've written a reply to a Facebook post by Carel Nolte. I think he mischaracterised this petition. But I attempt to find common ground. You'll find my piece on my Substack. It's called Ad Absurdum. You'll get it with a search. Feel free to read and comment.

Here's my response to a post Carel Nolte (a Saints old boy and former chair of multiple important school committees) posted on Facebook. I hope the tone is firm but conciliatory. Hi Carel. I’m Ian. We got off to a terrible start. Partly my fault. First, anyone who has run that perilous road between Durban and ‘Maritzburg has my Camaraderie and respect. Perhaps I’ll see you at the start line in August. Add to the running your apparent love for English, and we may not be quite as different as our written engagement suggests. I’d like to bury the hatchet. Start over, better. I think we can row in the same direction on this important matter. By way of introduction for the reader, last week I authored an open letter/petition that did two things. First, it expressed concern over a new raft of policies on race, gender and sex at a school in Johannesburg, St. Stithians. That’s my alma mater, for better or worse. The policy update was announced in a newsletter out of the office of the head of the St. Stithians Girls’ College, Sally James, on 13 April 2022. Second, it posed 16 questions to Sally and the school. These pressed on some basics about the policymaking process, theoretical foundations and safeguards around implementation. Carel responded with a post on Facebook. I haven’t met him, but I see he has a long and distinguished relationship with the school. For instance, he is a fellow alum and a former chair of important leadership bodies. More important to me as a fanatical runner, he has completed the 89km Comrades Marathon. I know what that takes. It is a special thing. To read each of our documents, you’d think we are irretrievably opposed in multiple keystone ways. I don’t think that’s the case. I will attempt to demonstrate this below by noting where we are in agreement, and clarifying precisely where we are not. I will reiterate exactly what I am asking for: information that I submit ought to be public as a starting point to evaluate novel an

Very glad to see this is being challenged.

A schools task is to educate children not indoctrinate them with trivial non-scientific woke messages that sadly will confuse many students as they prepare themselves for their careers post school.

They’re really losing the plot, so sad

You are doing a good thing

Note: Signatories have endorsed only the contents of the letter. The comments section is open to anyone. It should not be taken to reflect the opinions of signatories generally.

Please understand that everyone’s rights must be respected and only when a human has completed the “move” from one gender to the next can they move into the new school designated for that specific gender. If the human has chosen to change that change should then happen at home if they are not comfortable doing so while still currently the first gender school. Difficult as this may be - the best and save way would be to not create a situation where kids are mentally affected because it’s forced onto them Good luck

I the woke mind-virus will be the fall of St. Stithians. The traditions, values & moral foundations upon which the school rests, will be eroded & the school will fall. This will be your legacy if you continue down this path.

Time for the truth to be exposed! Minorities at the school are dictating .

As a Christian school, have you interrogated scripture to find out what it teaches us on these matters.

Truly appalling!!!

Manipulation of standards to suit a small minority requires a lot more thought and consultation with all stakeholders and not just those who want the desired outcome. Parents and children have not been properly consulted and the decision will have far reaching consequences than meets the eye. Those who are compromised should not be part of the decision making progress.

I do not have children at Saints but have several friends and family members that do. This is overstepping and I certainly do not blame those parents who are looking to move their children out of Saints. Kids of today have a tough enough time as it is, without being subjected to this. Seems Saints has being captured. Sad indeed.

I am an an ex-teacher at Saints and saddened by the prospect that this magnificent institution could be going down a slippery slope.

Saints has got so much right for almost 70 years. It has had some of the greatest teachers in the country, it has arguably the finest campus and facilities and it has produced many awesome past pupils. What the formula has always lacked, bizarrely, is the glue to hold the majority of pupils and parents together in their holistic love for this place. School leadership has historically shown contempt for the majority of pupils and parents. Too much One and not enough One & All. Remember where the ship was anchored, remove the loose cannons, they tend to take ships down with them. Change the set course if necessary, but do not modify the destination, the majority of pupils and parents are trying to get to the same place.

I would go way further than this petition. At. Stithians must stop pretending to be a Christian school of it continues (as it has over decades to be fair) to deny the truth and power of the gospel. Bowing to the 2-5% who embrace critical theory ignores centuries of human tradition based on the word of God, which will stand forver. I would very much like to offer a constructive and helpful voice of reason in all of this but sadly the way I see it going, my affiliation with and admiration for what was once a brilliant school is waning by the day. Ignore the 95% to your detriment St Stithians

This isn’t education, this is indoctrination. “Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as to not offend the imbeciles” - Dostoevsky

I wholeheartedly support the inquiries presented within this document.

Liam, this is a straw man argument. Neither the letter nor the comment above mention the decision you are obviously referencing. The letter certainly only poses questions. Signatories request information so that they can form their stances. Some of the comments express a firm position. But the letter's only position is that answers are needed in order to address the issue. You have also assumed (without evidence) that a biological boy can be, in every sense that matters, a girl. This is certainly not "par for the course". Parents most certainly have a right to be consulted - that process appears to have been lacking. They also have a reasonable expectation that the girls' school they send a daughter to is - at a basic contractual level - a school for biological girls, rather than girls as an emotional or social construct (or by some other model). It is a private institution that is free to establish itself that way. "One and All" is of limited use here. It is a motto, and should be treated as such. By no means does it have any strength as a policy tool. We can reduce it to absurdity too easily. The school not only may, but must, have discretion on who is admitted as a pupil. The way they do that must be fair and transparent. Do you think answers to the questions in the letter ought not to be provided? Why? Would you hid this information?