Durban

History of the Durban School

A practicing Architect Mr Lawrence Stretton started the School of Philosophy in Durban back in 1968 where lectures were first given from the old YMCA building in Durban central.

Student numbers gradually grew and the School moved into its first house in 1972 in Montpellier Road in Morningside and remained there until 2004 whereupon that house was sold and the School purchased the old German school building in Stamford Hill Road in Greyville.

The reason for this move was to start a day school for boys and girls modeled on the St James school that was started in London some 15 years previously, with the purpose of educating young children with the very best on offer and to introduce them to concepts like truth and justice from a young age.

Miss Anisha Ramlaul, herself a long standing and senior member of the School of Philosophy in KZN, was the first Headmistress, and was responsible for giving St James the momentum and ethos that it has today. Miss Ramlaul resigned in 2015, and the current Headmistress is Mrs Lisa   Weldhagen

School of Philosophy branches were later opened in Pietermaritzburg, currently headed by Mr Peter Rolland, and in Highway, headed by Dr Russell Hopkins.

Mr Stretton died shortly before Mr Leon MacLaren who appointed Mr Graham Moore as KZN School Leader. Mr Moore is a practicing engineer and held this position until 2001 whereupon Dr Chris Dickens was appointed KwaZulu Natal School Leader.

In 2015, Dr Dickens resigned as leader and Mr Andrew Braithwaite was appointed in his place.

Mr Braithwaite joined the Pietermaritzburg school in 1988 as a student, on seeing an advertisement in the smalls of the local newspaper. On the very first evening there was a connection with what was being said, and as the lectures went on, a great relief in having found what was known inwardly to be true.

He is a cane and timber farmer from the Greytown/Seven Oaks area, a qualified  Mediator, and a lover of Meditation. He  is married to Megan, who is also in the school, and together they have 5 children.