Three School Visits...

The TTS18 students have had the rare opportunity of visiting three different secondary schools within our 2 and ½ weeks of travel. Students visited two private boarding schools (Stanford Lake College and the Southern Cross school) and one public school located in the Engwenya Township near Waterval Boven. They sat in on classes and interacted with students of similar age. Debriefing this experience in our Global Studies class provided a platform for students to discuss their observations and question why. The legacy of apartheid is a theme that has been part of the past few weeks in our discussions. We have discussed observations that the students have made regarding infrastructure of the schools, student and teacher motivation levels, racial divisions amongst students and the variety of culture within student groups. The TTS students have been open and honest in their discussions with each other about what they are seeing and experiencing. To compare and contrast the variety of schooling systems in South Africa first hand is what makes the Traveling School a truly experiential learning experience.