Stellenbosch University
Welcome to Stellenbosch University
Completing a master’s degree cum laude in her senior years
Author: Corporate Communications Division
Published: 22/03/2018

Age is just a number and means nothing when it comes to finding a pastime to keep yourself busy.

This was the driving force behind 74-year-old Elizabeth Ann Robertson, who graduated  today (Thursday, 22 March), to receive her MA (Ancient Cultures) cum laude from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the Coetzenburg Centre at Stellenbosch University (SU).

She completed her Postgraduate Diploma in Ancient Cultures in the Department of Ancient Studies at SU in 2014 before beginning her master's degree studies. Her MA thesis topic is Growing up Greek: The differing journeys through childhood in ancient Athens and Sparta.

Robertson is originally from England and came to Africa at the tender age of 23.

“My early career was with the British Foreign Office as a junior diplomatic service officer and I was posted to a number of African countries on relief duty. I met and married my husband while on posting in Lesotho. My husband passed away in 2010," she explains.

A few years later, she moved to an apartment in Stellenbosch. The apartment was intended for students. “I managed only three months. The students in the building have ridiculous hours and it was difficult for me living like that," she says, laughing.

“I then moved to Somerset West. I didn't know a soul here other than my daughter and her family. I knew it wouldn't be fair to expect them to provide my social life. I knew I should do something. I saw an advertisement in the newspaper for the Postgraduate Diploma in Ancient Cultures in the Department of Ancient Studies at SU. I applied and was accepted. When the course came to an end in 2014, I thought, 'What am I going to do now?'" she says. So she started her master's degree studies.

“I never, never thought I'd ever be able to achieve a master's degree. I must say, I would never have finished the degree if it wasn't for my supervisor, Dr Samantha Masters. She was incredible and kept me going. My two children also motivated me," she says.

Robertson's research concludes that the 6th and 5th century BCE educational systems in Athens and Sparta, the two most prominent city-states during those periods, differed from each other in structure, emphasis and goals. They also differed in the level of state intervention, since these cities had different socio-political systems.

Athens provided no state-sponsored system of education for boys and the responsibility of arranging a boy's education rested with the father. Girls were adequately educated in domestic skills within the oikos. This ancient Greek word refers to three related but distinct concepts: the family, the family's property and the house. Spartan children, both boys and girls, however, grew up within a system of compulsory state-run education, which concentrated heavily on physical training at the expense of literacy.

Robertson looked at the extent and nature of the differences between the childhood experiences in the two cities to discern to what extent and in what way the socio-political systems had an impact on the upbringing of children and on their journey to adult citizen status.

Robertson has no plans yet to continue toward a PhD. She explains that last year, while she was completing her thesis, was very tough. For now, she is first going to enjoy her free time, which will consist of reading.

“I don't watch television. I don't even have a television in my house. I read."