FOR the first time in 55 years, Kuswag Skool, a historically Afrikaans single medium institution, and the only one of its kind in Amanzimtoti, is opening an English stream from next year, turning the page to a new chapter for the school.

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Now in his fourth year as Kuswag’s principal, Martin Prinsloo said that after a parent meeting earlier in the year, which included the school’s governing body and the Department of Education (DoE), it was decided that an English stream would be introduced into the school for certain grades. These include Grades R, One and Grade Eight, with Grade Four being another possible addition provided there are enough learners for it come 2026.

“We’ve got six primary schools in our area but only two English high schools. You can’t fit all those Grade Sevens into two schools, so in many ways, this change will be assisting the community accommodate the amount of learners, Grade Eights especially,” said Prinsloo.

While new teachers will be brought in, currently employed teachers will also be involved in the English stream.

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Prinsloo said that every year going forward, the English stream will be expanded to include more grades, and that in a five-year period, there will be English classes all the way through.

“This is a big change. It is not only a language change, but also an inclusion of people from different cultures, backgrounds and religions. Our school is open to change. We of course need to have programmes in place to embrace and accept this change, so that we all respect each other and our differences.”

The school embarked on a roadshow to local primary schools to show learners that Kuswag is now another option to consider for high school, not just to Afrikaans native speakers.

He expressed excitement for the school sport-wise as he expects there to be a great deal of growth in terms of the sporting talent pool. Kuswag will be including soccer as one of its offerings as many learners asked about it during the roadshow.