Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool

Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool, commonly referred to as WAP, is a private school in Windhoek, Namibia. It is the only school which educates its pupils in the Afrikaans medium. Registered since 1995 at the Namibian Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture, it welcomes pupils to grades 1 through 12. Admissions to the institution are based on the prerequisites set by the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia.^[1]

History

The school was officially opened on 4 March 1995. The first principal of the school was Piet Burger who served only for one year. In 1996 he was succeeded by Johan Esbach. Under his management, the school was re-registered in 2004 as an educational institution welcoming pupils in grades 1 through 12 of the Namibian Education System. Pupils in grade 12 write an external examination by an independent examinations authority in South Africa called IEB. This differs from other schools in Namibia who Write external examinations from Cambridge University's Local Examination Syndicate in Namibia. In 2004, Mr Attie van Wyk took over as General Manager of the School.^[2]

Management

Initially the school was run as a company making a profit. After review, this was however changed into a complete educational institution. At present, the School is managed internally by four individuals who take care of the day-to-day functions of the entitlement. They are:

Secondary School Manager - Des van Heerden
Primary School Manager - Elna de Jager
Extra Mural Manager - Kobus Espach
Pre-Primary School Manager - Ansie Krause

Furthermore, the school is also governed by an external governing authority which lay down the rules and regulations as well as makes the executive decisions and recruitment.^[3]

Premises

The school was initially run on the premises of the Reformed Church Windhoek South and consisted of only 5 rooms. Rapid growth in the school necessitated its further development, with additional estate acquired in September 1997 and even more in 2006. Since the beginning of 2007 the school has steadily increased in size and expanded its current buildings. At present, a whole new administrative block is being constructed while the remainder of the school is being upgraded to exceptional education standards - a new dawn for education in Windhoek.^[2]

Education

The school makes use of two primary means of education; the syllabus by the Ministry of Basic Education, Sport and Culture for Namibians from grades 1 to 7 and IEB, the independent examinations body from South Africa for grades 8 to 12.^[4]

The secondary school offers education and training in the following subject areas:

Sport

Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool competes in national and international sporting events. These include: Rugby, Netball, Hockey, Cricket, Tennis, Athletics, some indoor sports and also chess.^[2]

Culture

The school values culture as important as sport and education. Subsequently the school offers numerous cultural events for pupils to take part in. This includes: cultural tours, cultural exhibitions, annual competitions and participation in the Windhoek Cultural Festival. Furthermore, the school takes great pride in its appearance and regard its emblem, flag, motto, core values, school uniform and anthem at part of its culture.^[5]

Motto
Windhoek Afrikaanse Privaatskool strives to develop pupils within the scope of quality education in Afrikaans using Christian values.

• 
  WAP Uniform

Anthem
Waar riffel-rante die hemelblou in skerp ets sny,
tuimel wyd ons land se ruimtes,
stol die stilte in bloedrooi aalwynkrone
en sidder saadvingers hul lied na bo.
Ons sing oor jou, Windhoek Afrikaanse Skool.
Ons staan vir Afrikaans,
vir die krag van kwaliteit
en ons sweef op vlerke van geloof.
Geloof, hoop en liefde -
Godgerig ons leuse.
WAP, ons eie, ons trots! (2x)

References