Afrikaans, a descendant of Dutch, originated in South Africa's Dutch Cape Colony with contributions from intermarrying slaves. Initially considered a 'low status' language unfit for educated discourse, it was used for instruction in Muslim schools in the early 1800s, written in Arabic script before switching to the Latin alphabet. Previously viewed as a Dutch dialect until the early 20th century, Afrikaans is now predominantly spoken in South Africa (95% of speakers) and Namibia (3%). The language has a controversial history in South African education; notably, the 1976 student rebellion against its use as a medium of instruction in non-white schools marked a significant shift towards English. Currently, the use of Afrikaans as an official language in South Africa is declining.