Journey to Lesotho

Dr Jane Booth, from the School of Social Justice and Inclusion, joined colleagues from School of Early Childhood and School of Initial Teacher Education and Training on an educational visit to the Kingdom of Lesotho in September this year. 12 students from the university joined them to get experience of schools and pre-schools in this developing country.

This is Jane’s experience:

“The focus of the trip was to give students the experience of teaching in a very different education system. And it certainly was different! Having left Cardiff in the early hours of Wednesday morning we arrived in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, on Friday evening, after 2 flights, an overnight stay in Johannesburg and a 6 hour bus journey! We were hosted by the Lesotho College of Education who have a campus in the capital and one in the middle of the country in Thaba Tseka.

So after 2 nights in Maseru we were back on the bus for a 6 hour trip to the Thaba Tseka! The journey took us up into the mountains where we saw a completely different way of life and pace of life. The schools and nurseries had very few resources, and classes were sometimes as big as 80 children! What is more, all those children really wanted to be there, to learn and get an education, some walking for over an hour to get to school.

We also visited a School for the Blind and a Children’s Home for children orphaned by AIDS. Sometimes it was harrowing, but no matter how difficult their circumstances, the Basotho people always welcomed us with open arms. It was a humbling experience and one I will never forget!”