Over 8 700 learners study German as a foreign language and 1 300 as mother tongue within 53 schools in Namibia, Minister of Education, Arts and Culture Katrina Hanse-Himarwa has said. Hanse-Himarwa said this in a speech read on her behalf at the inauguration ceremony of the Etosha Secondary School into the Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) initiative here on Wednesday. PASCH is a worldwide programme for the development and advancement of the German language at selected schools. In Namibia it is offered in schools including Namib High School, Delta Secondary School, Martin Luther High School, Edugate Academy, Otjiwarongo Secondary School and Windhoek High School. Hanse-Himarwa emphasised that the German language forms part of the foreign language bracket of the languages offered in schools; a bracket that also has French, Portuguese and Mandarin. “The development will strengthen our relationships to Germany as a location and partner for business, science, culture and study destination,” she said. The education minister further emphasised that the particular selection makes Etosha Secondary School to function and operate to promote inter-cultural interactions, with it being in a multilingual and tourist-prone area. She indicated that the ministry has noted an interest from many schools wanting to offer German, therefore it will continue to support schools at all times. At the same event, Deputy Head of Mission at the German Embassy, Ellen Gölz said promoting the German language has for a long time been a major instrument in German cultural relations and education policy. “PASCH offers the great opportunity to support German language in foreign countries and to help or expand German as a foreign language,” Gölz said. On his part, Etosha Secondary School principal Andris Kaishungu said culture gives an identity and Etosha aims to open as many doors to learners as possible. He noted that since 2003, the school entered into a cooperation with the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany to send two students for six months per year on internship programmes for the school to be able to continue offering German as a foreign language to learners from Grade 8 to 12.