During the 1920s the Methodist Church started with missionary work under the Xhosa community and by 1937 the Dutch Reformed Church followed in the Basotho community. By 1938 the missionary societies rented a hall where church and school could be attended. The origins of Worcester Boys High dates back to 1824 when schooling started in Worcester. Magistrate Truter, District Surgeon Glaeser and Reverend Sutherland served on the School Commission when the Government Free School reached the town in 1830. School was attended six days a week and subjects included Dictatation, Reading, Grammar, Writing, Arithmetic and Translating from Dutch into English. School started at 8am, finished at 4pm with a two-hour break at 11am. The official formation of the school took place on 2 July 1873 when the "Undenominational Boys Public school" was declared. By June 1882 the school was classified as a Class 1 Public School and by 1899 a high school. In 1972 Worcester Boys' High and Worcester Girls High amalgamated and formed Worcester High School. Worcester High School operated for 20 years before amalgamating once more in 1992, with Worcester East High School. This joining formed Worcester Gymnasium, which opened in January 1992, on the grounds of the former school. Parts of the Boys' Highs' building are still used. The Ladies Seminary was founded by the Dutch Reformed Church in January 1876 after a period of 3 years when no education was offered to girls in Worcester. By 1908 it became a Girls High School. Schools for Deaf and Blind people were founded in 1881 by the Dutch Reformed Church. Two world-renowned schools developed out of humble beginnings. From the 1880s to 1899 the Lutheran and Anglican Churches operated their own schools in town. Coloured children were allowed to attend the Lutheran School to receive a higher education. Worcester Practising Shool (Oefen Skool) was established in 1938 as one of the primary schools for coloured children. During the Second Boer War, Prisoners of War were sent to St Helena, Ceylon etc. Many of the young boys never received or completed an education. The Dutch Reformed Church founded a school in what became the birth of adult education. Students were taught in the Gospel but also learned trades. The Drostdy was handed over by Government for this purpose in 1903 and by 1911 it had developed into an Industrial School. Since 1944 it is known as the Drostdy Technical High School.