TWO learners from Hillcrest High School (HHS) were celebrated as they made their way back from a summer camp in Germany as part of the PASCH initiative. At the end of June, Lourens Joubert and Micaella Hunter, who study German as a subject at the school, left Durban to join a group of students from across the globe in Karlsruhe, Germany.
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The German cultural institute, the Goethe-Institute, works to promote knowledge of the German language across the world and currently partners with around 670 schools worldwide, providing opportunities for teachers and learners to earn qualifications in the language thereby expanding German tuition globally.
Hillcrest High School has participated in the PASCH initiative since 2021 and is one of only three PASCH-Schulen in South Africa. PASCH stands for ‘Schools: Partners for the Future’, and the partnership offers high school learners who study German as a subject many opportunities, both in South Africa and internationally. These include access to online courses and competitions, the possibility of attending outreach programmes in Germany, as well as access to further studies in German-speaking countries up until the age of 35.
HHS principal Denise Knight said this has been a wonderful opportunity for their learners.
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“For the next three weeks, in Karlsruhe, their busy schedule included German studies, interactive outreach and visits to German universities, and outings to places of interest. This was a wonderful opportunity for our learners, and we are extremely grateful for the support of the Goethe Institute,” she said.
Reporting on the experience, Grade 11 learner Micaella Hunter said the experience was a great deal of fun as well as educational.
“There were people from 13 different countries from around the world, which means we did not only improve our German fluency but we also learned other languages, such as Arabic and Spanish. Germany is also incredibly beautiful – there are so many interesting buildings, statues and sites to see,” she said.
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Grade 12 learner Daniel Joubert said that he believes the trip will greatly improve his final matric results in German. “This trip to Germany has been one I will never forget. We are learning German in such fun and creative ways and have done so many interesting things, including visiting the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, making new friends from across the world and learning about their cultures.”
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