The Eastern Cape Department of Education is expected to host a German delegation as part of an exchange programme.
Four St John’s College learners from Mthatha and two teachers will be visiting the Nelson Mandela (NM) School in Berlin.
In turn, German teachers and learners will visit Mthatha to gain more knowledge.
The partnership between the Nelson Mandela School and St John’s College seeks to enlighten the new generation about the history and relations between the two countries which are key players in the Global North and Global South.
The aim is to also follow in the footsteps of Nelson Mandela to promote social justice and equality around the world.
The Eastern Cape Department of Education hosted a welcoming of the German delegation
On behalf of the Department of Education , it is with great pleasure to extend our warm welcome to the Nelson Mandela School in Germany that will be partaking in the St John’s college. pic.twitter.com/xqdXDzDx4A
— ECDOE (@ECDOEZA) June 25, 2024
An official from the German Nelson Mandela School says the intention of the school is to hold a critical dialogue about the two countries.
“We are hoping through progamme like this, that we can have real contact and real dialogue with people from the global south and that we can learn from each other,” he says.
Learners from both schools are meanwhile exhilarated by the social injustice dialogues.
A Nelson Mandela School learner Chris Langhans says, “There are people from everywhere in the world but in order to have diversity, we ought to have equality and we always learn about equality. This programme is a practical measure. We can get to create something for ourselves. We cannot just read books or watch some documentaries but (ours is to) really understand the concept of equality.”
St John’s College learner Shantelle Sizani believes the programme will assist her as it will expose her to a new environment.
“I will come back from Germany and teach them (peers) what I have learnt. I am an ambassador by going to Germany,” she says.
The delegation will continue to criss-cross the province including Port St Johns, Qunu and East London where they will be engaging with other young people on different social injustice issues.
