PASCH in Namibia

Bild vergrößern Afrikanische Schülerin (© picture-alliance/ dpa) The partner school initiative “Schools: Partners for the Future“ (PASCH) gives Namibia the opportunity to support the continued existence of German in this country in general, and it offers support to establish or expand the teaching of German as a foreign language for Namibian schools in particular.

The PASCH-initiative which was launched by the German Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, aims to establish a worldwide network of 1000 partner schools by which young people's interest and enthusiasm for modern-day Germany can be roused.

In Namibia, the Deutsche Höhere Privatschule (DHPS), the Delta Oberschule Windhoek (DOSW), the Namib High School Swakopmund (NHS) and the Martin Luther High School Okombahe are the official partner schools of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In Namibia the DHPS is the only official German school abroad.  Being funded  via the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA), the DHPS automatically became a partner school within the PASCH-Initiative.

The efforts in the past of the DOSW and the NHS to build up a strong German language section in their schools was rewarded in 2008 by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) by an agreement on the inclusion of these schools in the PASCH-initiative. The ZfA sends and funds a German teacher for both schools respectively for a period of three years.

The German Government and these two schools will thus endeavour to develop even further fruitful and long-lasting ties with Germany and enjoy an open exchange of views and engage in co-operation with Germany.  Both schools are working towards the introduction of the German Language Certificate, preparing the pupils for study in Germany and for a subsequent career.

The Goethe-Institute was tasked by the German Government to find schools in each country which are in need of support for the introduction or development of German as a subject. The Goethe-Centre Windhoek found the best possible partner, the Martin-Luther High School in Okombahe. At this school German has been taught as a foreign language for 47 years and has achieved a high standard in this task. Currently around 260 students learn German there.

From the beginning it was a private confessional school opposed to the system of Bantu education, introduced by the South African administration. From the outset the school drew up its own curricula and maintained a high-level system of education, encouraging its students to think independently and to broaden their mind. Germany wants to support openness to cultural diversity and tolerance towards other people’s distinctiveness, be it in Germany or in Namibia. In October 2008 a Memorandum of Understanding between the Martin-Luther High School and the Goethe-Centre/Windhoek as part of the PASCH-Initiative was signed.