The sixth grade students at the German International School in Cape Town (DSK) are a happy and very lively bunch. They all wear the school uniform: white polo shirts with the school name and emblem. On their way to the sports ground they are singing the school song together: “I go to the DSK, everything here’s OK, because you can go your own way.” They sing the verse not just once, but four times – in German, English, Xhosa and Afrikaans. Yes, the school is international, and it’s not just attended by children from German families. Sonia, for instance, is an 11-year-old South African, her grandmother was German. “My mum wanted me to learn German, and she thinks the DSK is a good school,” she says. She is one of the 730 students at the DSK.
It’s no secret that German is not exactly a simple language, and not all of the students have learned it already at home like Sonia. That’s why the school has different streams. German native speakers can join the DSK from the first grade on. Classes are mainly held in German for them. School lasts for 13 years (from 2010 it will be 12 years) and finishes with the German Abitur. For those learning German as a foreign language, there are parallel encounter classes. These students receive additional intensive coaching in German whilst their regular school classes are held in German and English. Normally they graduate from school with the South African Matric. But those who wish to, and whose German is good enough, can take the German Abitur as well.
The German International School in Cape Town has a long tradition. Last year it celebrated its 125th anniversary. It also enjoys a reputation as the German overseas school with the most beautiful setting in the world.When you look out of the windows you can see the Atlantic coast on one side and the majestic Table Mountain on the other. But this wasn’t the decisive factor when Dirk Heiss chose to work as a teacher at the DSK. “The equipment here is fantastic. For instance, instead of blackboards we have interactive whiteboards in the classrooms,” he says. For sports and cultural events there’s a swimming pool, tennis courts, a library and a hall for theatre performances and concerts. As a private institution the school is very well equipped. Nevertheless, it is the most reasonably priced private school in Cape Town with its monthly fees of 100 euros. The fees are low because the teachers are sent over from Germany, so the school has no extra expenses for the teaching staff.
Alongside Johannesburg, Pretoria and Hermannsburg the DSK in Cape Town is one of four German overseas schools in South Africa. Altogether there are nine German overseas schools in sub-Saharan Africa, and they are attended by around 3,800 children and young people. The majority of students don’t have German nationality. German schools are popular and interest in the German language is very lively. This is illustrated by the increasing numbers of students which have risen by ten per cent over the past five years.
German as a foreign language is being further consolidated and strengthened in African countries, and cooperation with German schools is being expanded. The network of German overseas schools and schools offering the German Language Diploma is being strengthened and expanded with the help of the worldwide overseas schools initiative “Schools: Partners of the Future“ (Pasch), which was called into being by Federal Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the beginning of 2008. In a total of 60 countries in sub-Saharan Africa German classes are now being offered for the first time with the support of Pasch. And in the few cases where German is already on the timetable the opportunities are being broadened.
The Pasch initiative in Africa is also inspiring interest in the German language with a variety of additional openings. From September 2008 until May 2009 a group of drama teachers from Germany toured Africa and organized one-week workshops for students of German and their teachers at a number of schools. Some 30 schools throughout Africa took part in the “Speech-Flow” programme supported by the Goethe-Institut.
The DSK board of managers also enables students from less privileged circumstances to join the school and awards scholarships to children and young people from townships who attend the encounter classes. One of these students is 11-year-old Kululeko. He’s still finding a bit difficult to speak German, but he already understands most of what he hears. “German is an important language and it’s spoken a lot in South Africa. It’s good when you can speak German,” he says. Kululeko was chosen for a scholarship together with other children from his township. In this way gifted young students from Cape Town’s townships are given the opportunity to be educated at the DSK. “It’s very important to us that our students don’t live in an isolated bubble but mix with children from more modest circumstances as well,” says Dirk Heiss as he talks about the school’s social commitment.
In the background to our conversation at the edge of the sports field, we can hear shouts of enthusiasm from supporters. It’s competition day. The DSK students are competing against other schools in athletics. It’s now time for scholarship-holder Kululeko to take part in the relay race. His school friends go off too. A few minutes later they’re standing on the platform brandishing posters: one of them reads “DSK – simply the best”. The students strike up the school song: “I go to DSK, it’s very clear, because all my friends are here”. Kululeko starts running, receives the baton and overtakes his opponents. The cheers of his classmates echo loudly over the sports field. Going to school at the DSK is simply inspiring.
www.dsk.co.za
