In a country caught in the grips of an educational crisis, the Eastern Cape presents itself as the locale of some of the worst examples of the consequences of the crisis. At best it has managed only to achieve matric results 20% worse than the next worst province in the country.

But the news is not all bad.

The Eastern Cape, in particular, has long been a source of leaders – Sisulu, Mbeki, Tambo, Biko, Sobukwe, Mandela and many others – and the situation is not that poor education is simply a fact of Eastern Cape living. In fact, some of the schools in the Queenstown district are amongst the top in the country –Queens College, Queenstown Girl’s High School, Hoërskool Hangklip. We firmly believe that the route out of poverty and inequality is a quality education.  By sending deserving young men (and women) to an excellent school, we are giving them the opportunity to receive such a quality education, and thus provide them with the chance of a lifetime, and hope to the community.

The ultimate aim is to use these schools as the fulcrum around which to drive up the standards and quality of education in the whole district.

This is the Vision of the Queenstown Education Foundation.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES of the Queenstown Education Foundation

• To transform education in the Queenstown district by elevating the standards and by improving the quality of learning and teaching throughout the community from pre-school to PhD.

• To give deserving young men and women the opportunity to receive a quality education, and thus provide them with the chance of a lifetime. This is our key objective.

• The 1965Ride cycle tour is part of this broader vision to support the development of the schools and to provide talented youngsters with the opportunity of a lifetime – a good education

• It is also part of an initiative to publicise the vision and activities of the Foundation in order to garner support to extend its activities

• To encourage cyclists from other cities and towns in South Africa to undertake similar tours in support of education in Queenstown

The 1965Ride is an 850km cycle tour between Johannesburg and Queenstown to raise funds for an educational scholarship and bursary fund for deserving students at quality schools.

The cyclists are all amateur volunteers who believe strongly that the most important priority in our country is to improve education. They all raise their own sponsorships to support this initiative.