Bullis Global Education Teacher Exchange Program: Our final two school visits, the University of Pretoria, and a tour of the Union Building

Our day was basically divided into three parts. We drove north to Pretoria, and visited the fourth of our five partner schools: Seshegong Secondary School in the Tshwane township. Angie from Chantilly HS will be working specifically with an energetic young woman named Thoko Sethole at this school. This school was the most basic of the five, at least in terms of building materials. Classrooms are all trailers, although they are constructed on permanent cement platforms. Despite the bare-bones physical plant, the students flourish here under a very determined and strict headmistress and perform well on National exams. However, due to poverty, few students continue on to university or trade schools...a handful at most each year. Classrooms are full to the point of bursting, and I saw two or three teenagers sharing one chair and one desk. As with all of our schools, the students were fascinated by the American visitors and eager to take photos and ask questions. A special highlight was the impromptu Zulu dance that took place in the courtyard. I also liked the student-generated "class rules:" my favorite was "No Funky Hairstyles."

I've mastered the art of the teenage girl pose

Fairly bare bones, but clean and well-maintained

History lesson: South Africans address colonialism and Apartheid head on.

Best. Rules. Ever.

Creating cement foundations for more trailers

Zulu lesson. Students are instructed in English and their tribal language.

Average class size is about 45-50.

The women in track suits are on staff at this school: Thoko (our partner teacher), the Headmistress, and a Zulu teacher.

These two gentlemen have been our drivers for the week. They were so thrilled to get Bullis baseball caps!

We were next off to Pretoria High School for Girls, which was different from the four other partner schools in many ways. First, it is a single sex school. It is located in an urban environment rather than a township. It is more than 100 years old, whereas the other schools we visited were built in the last 10-15 years. Lastly, and most significantly, it is integrated. Since geography typically determines where one attends school, although Apartheid has ended, the all-black townships create all-black schools. We see this in America as well, where urban public schools have become segregated by geography and economics. PHSG was all-white until the 1970s, but now is approximately 40% white, 40% black, and 20% students of other ethnicities (i.e. Indian). Although it looks like a private school, it is actually state-supported. Students must apply to attend, and pay additional school fees (approximately $2,000/year) but those fees are waived for students with demonstrated need. In some ways, this school was the most old-fashioned in terms of use of technology, but it was also well-equipped with labs and offers many extracurricular activities. As with the students in the townships, these young ladies were thrilled to meet us and had many questions. My favorite: "what is snow like?" I almost started singing "Let it Snow" but refrained.

Impressive exterior, circa 1902

School or country club? You decide.

The "Head Girls" going back to the beginning

Auditorium

Cooking class. Making potato salad.

The finished product

These girls are all "Matrics," and will graduate in December. The girl in the middle is a rock star and has many badges representing academic and extracurricular excellence.

Building a circuit in science lab

A class of 8th graders...so many questions about America!

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, we were next off to the University of Pretoria, where Professor Rinelle Evans from the Department of Humanities Education had put together a three-hour program that touched on many aspects of education and teaching in South Africa. We heard from the principal of a high school that was once an Afrikaaner school and is now integrated. We learned about teacher training and mentoring in South Africa. We heard from a young black man who is now teaching in a primary school. Professor Evans gave a talk about the incredible linguistic diversity of the country and the challenges that teachers face when instructing students who do not all speak the same language at home (again, not unlike some of our schools in America). The finale was a wonderful performance by a group of students in training to be music teachers, and we were each given a CD of performances by the University's choir.

University of Pretoria

Our very packed agenda. So much to learn!

These students were awesome and provided a lively end to our visit

Our final stop of the day was at the Union Buildings, which house the South African government. The buildings were constructed in 1910, and the architectures serve as a reminder of European colonization, but the massive Mandela statue provides a counterbalance. We headed back to our hotel with much to think about and discuss.