Limpho Sello
MASERU Private Academy Principal-in-waiting, Karl Frizt Crous says his dream of quality education in Lesotho was close to being fulfilled, amid indications the academy will be officially opened in January 2018.
Mr Crous said this in a recent interview with the Sunday Express during a sod turning ceremony for the facility at Masowe I in Maseru.
He said the dual curriculum school would offer courses in the Lesotho General Certificate of Secondary Education (LGCSE), from nursery, primary school (Grade 1 to Grade 7), secondary school (Grade 8 to Grade 12) as well as the Cambridge International Curriculum, International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) Grades 8, 9 and Grade 10, Advanced Subsidiary Levels (AS Levels) AS1 – Grade 11 and AS2 – Grade 12.
He said they had the full support of the Ministry of Education and Training in their quest to follow in the footsteps of their sister Ladybrand Academy in South Africa.
“Ladybrand Academy was awarded certificates for outstanding achievements in First Additional Language, Geography, English Home Language, Mathematical Literacy, Life Science and Mathematics by the Department of Education in South Africa on 4 March 2017,” Mr Crous said.
“Ladybrand Academy was one of the Top Performing Schools in the Motheo District in 2016 and obtained the highest percentage of Bachelors’ Awards in the district.”
He said the school would offer the Cambridge Curriculum as this would enable students to gain direct admission into South Africa’s top universities without having to write bridging examinations.
“The school will accommodate 2500 students and to ensure education of the highest quality, each classroom will accommodate a maximum of 30 learners per class with committed staff members and a professional management team.”
Maseru Private Academy is the group’s fourth school owned by the Free State Academy Group under the leadership of Mr Crous who founded the successful Group in Ladybrand in 2004, Kroonstad in 2009 and Bloemfontein in 2012.
Asked what prompted him to open a school in Maseru he said; “It’s been reported that in 2016 to 2017, the South African High Commission issued over 6000 student permits to enable Basotho children to attend schools in South Africa.
“Almost 2000 of these children were living in Lesotho and crossing the borders every day, many of them leaving their homes as early as 5:30am and commuting long distances to and from school in taxis.”
Mr Crous said children deserved quality time with their families and did not need to always travel long distances to school as that was risky and often affected their capabilities in the classroom.