The Deutsche Internationale Schule Pretoria (DSP) is a German and English-medium school in
The Willows, Pretoria
Die Wilgers is a residential suburb of the city of Pretoria, South Africa. Located to the east of Lynnwood Ridge in a leafy, established area that is home to some affordable real estate.
Education
* Hoërskool Die Wilgers, Afrikaans medium high ...
, South Africa.
History
The DSP was founded in December 1899, with the first school building officially opened in 1900.
1924 saw the school move to bigger premises in the Pretoria city centre.
In 1965, the DSP had 16 teachers and 399 learners from pre-school to Grade 7.
Until 1967, the DSP was a primary school only. In 1968 a Grade 8 class was started, followed by a Grade 9 class in 1969 and so on, until the DSP sat its first Matric class for school-leaving exams in 1972.
With the school growing too small for its Pretoria city centre facilities, DSP’s current property was purchased in 1969. Construction of the new school began in 1975 and the DSP moved officially in 1977.
In 1985 the DSP Kindergarten was opened, while in 2013 the school opened a crèche, for children from 3 months of age.
In 1988 the DSP launched an outreach “Education Builds Bridges,” aimed at previously-disadvantaged learners from Mamelodi and Eersterust. Since then, over 800 children have taken part in the programme, which is made possible by a grant from the Federal Republic of Germany. At a ceremony for the 30th anniversary of the programme on 8 November 2019, former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe thanked the DSP for playing a role in the creation of a new South Africa 30 years ago. “The decision of the German School was courageous and gave additional impetus to the process of democratisation of South Africa”, said Motlanthe.
As of 2021, the DSP has roughly 50 teachers and 750 learners, from its Crèche through to Grade 12.
At the beginning of 2022, Manuel Haß from Aalen in Germany joined the DSP as Principal.
Operations
The school is funded through school fees, donations, fundraising and support from the German government.
It is founded on the German Education model of teaching, which emphasizes developing independence in children, encourages critical thinking, supports children taking ownership for their learning process, and stresses the development of creative problem-solving skills.
Since 1999, the school has added a new Media/Computer Centre, an Arts, Crafts and Design Centre, dedicated music facility, as well as a LEGO Robotics Lab.
Curriculum and graduation options
The DSP follows German and South African curricula, with German and English taught as both mother tongue and as a foreign language.
The school is divided into the following phases:
Early Learning (including a Crèche and Kindergarten), Primary (Pre-school to Grade 4), Secondary I (Grades 5-9) and Secondary II (Grades 10-12), all of which work closely with each other.
In the Secondary School I phase, learners in German classes can complete a school-leaving certificate equivalent to the German “
Hauptschulabschluss” (Grade 9) or “
Realschulabschluss
The Mittlere Reife (, lit. ''"Middle Maturity"'') is a School leaving qualification, school-leaving certificate in Germany that is usually awarded after ten years of schooling. It is roughly comparable with the British GCSE.
The official name var ...
” (Grade 10).
At the end of Grade 9, in preparation for entry to Secondary School II, learners decide whether they want to follow the German Kombi-Abitur or the South African National Senior Certificate (
NSC
NSC may refer to:
Sport and competition
* NSC United, an American soccer team
* National Scholastics Championship, an American quiz bowl competition
* National Scrabble Championship, now known as the Scrabble Players Championship
* National Sho ...
) Programme. In the NSC, learners are prepared in the English medium for the NSC examination at the end of Grade 12, as set by the Independent Examination Board (IEB). This can then be supplemented by the German Language Diploma (
DSD II), which qualifies a learner to study in Germany.
The language of tuition in the Kombi-Abitur is mainly German and affords learners the opportunity to earn a dual school-leaving certificate (the German international “
Abitur
''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...
” and the NSC).
Oktoberfest
Pretoria’s annual Oktoberfest was first held at the DSP in the Willows in 1977, as a fundraiser for the school. Despite its name, it is held in September, like the "original"
Oktoberfest in
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, which runs from the second half of September until the first Sunday in October. Attractions include an authentic Oompah band, German food like Eisbein, Bratwurst, Schnitzel, Brezel and Lebkuchen, as well as both German and local beers. For the first time in its history, the Oktoberfest was cancelled in both 2020 and 2021 because of the
Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Gallery
File:Aerial Overall DSP.jpg, alt=Aerial view of the Deutsche Internationale Schule Pretoria (DSP), Aerial view of the DSP
File:DSP main entrance.jpg, alt=DSP Main Entrance, DSP Main Entrance
File:DSP Kindergarten .jpg, alt=DSP Kindergarten, DSP Kindergarten
File:DSP Grundschule .jpg, alt=DSP Primary School, DSP Primary School
File:DSP Sekundarstufe .jpg, alt=DSP High School, DSP High School
File:DSP Siemens Forum.jpg, alt=DSP Siemens Forum, DSP Siemens Forum
References
External links
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{{Authority control
German international schools in South Africa
International schools in Pretoria
Educational institutions established in 1899
1899 establishments in South Africa