Education and Health in Post Apartheid South Africa

This program gives students an opportunity to observe social institutions in newly democratic South Africa. South Africa is the wealthiest country in Africa, yet it has enormous levels of inequality among its citizens. While formal political inequality may have been achieved in 1994, there remains much work to be done for this to translate into economic and social equality in institutions such as education. South Africa is also dealing with the current HIV/AIDS epidemic, which has greatly impacted all of southern Africa, and students interested in social equality will be able to observe how this epidemic is being studied and dealt with in a policy framework.

The Program
This course is designed to allow students to both learn about and directly observe contemporary South Africa. Travel to South Africa is designed as community based learning, with students taking active roles in schools or research centers in the Tshwane/Pretoria area. While there participants live in university dorms, and spend their weekdays traveling to their placements to work and observe. Upon return to the U.S. students are required to write a research paper which relies upon both more traditional research methods as well as their experiences in South Africa. It is a full 4-credit course that is run by Mount Holyoke College, and is open to all students in the Five Colleges. Travel to South Africa is possible through close cooperation with the University of Pretoria.

Comments by 2005 Participants
"The trip was amazing, ... and the information we/I learned was great."

"This course has effectively tied together all of my studies at Mount Holyoke."

"I loved my placement and the fact that I actually got to teach."

"Overall, an absolutely amazing experience. If I had to do it all over again I would in a second."

"This course has been one of the best learning experiences. I learned an incredible amount, and also changed a lot."

Course Activities
There are two parts to this course. The first part takes place in the spring semester. Students taking the course meet seven times to discuss the general background of South Africa, with particular attention paid to educational reform since 1994.

The second part of this course involves travel to South Africa from late July to late August, and placement in schools and policy research centers in Pretoria. While there, some students will have the opportunity to work with teachers in primary or secondary schools as student teachers. Others will be able to observe and help with the research conducted by the Center for the Study of AIDS at the University of Pretoria. Student placement will depend on the interest and qualifications of the student as well as availability of space within the schools and research centers.

During their stay in South Africa students will also have opportunities to visit local museums and other sites of interest in and around the Tshwane/Pretoria area.

To sign up for the course, students whould register for Education 301/Sociology 301 for the spring 2007 semester. Only those students intending to travel to South Africa should register for the course. This course will fulfill the requirements for Teacher Licensure Candidates in terms of their J-Term course ED324 or ED332.

Course Professors
This cross-disciplinary course is taught by members of different departments at Mount Holyoke. This year the course will be led by Beverley Bell, the Five-College Teacher Licensure Coordinator, Lenore Reilly Carlisle, from Education, Matthew McKeever, from Sociology, and Preston Smith from Politics (also Director of Community Based Learning).

Travel Dates
The dates of travel to South Africa have not been finalized, but are expected to be from late July to late August.

Costs
We anticipate the cost to be between $3,200 and $3,500. This cost covers all elements of this course, including travel, food, lodging, and cultural visits. Limited financial assistance is available.

Additional Requirements
Students wishing to teach in schools need to have completed one of the following courses: Educational Psychology, Adolescent Psychology, or Developmental Psychology. Students planning to work at the Center for the Study of AIDS should have completed Anthropology 105 or Sociology 123. Additional information on this course can be obtained by emailing any of the course professors. Preference will be given to students interested in educational issues, teaching, social justice issues, and social change in South Africa.