PGCE trainee teachers are off to Kenya again

PGCE Primary, Secondary and FE trainee teachers and their tutors from the University of Southampton’s Education School will be setting off to Nakuru, Kenya on Saturday 19th of March as part of their training experience.

Having been learning the craft of school teaching since September 2015, these trainees are going to discover what happens when there are no resources in the classroom and all of the students are speaking a language that is not their native one; where there is no electricity or water and classes are potentially 60 or more in number. What is vitally important, though, is that these trainees will also be shown what the students’ experience away from school is like, as they visit the homes of some of the students at a landfill site.

African Adventures, a company that provides humanitarian and financial support to educational projects and schools in Africa, describes Kenya as having a “vibrant culture” and “natural beauty”, with “iconic African scenery” promised for those that visit this country.

And it is certain that both staff and students will return describing just that.

This is the fourth such excursion to Nakuru, Kenya and provides an opportunity to experience what it is truly like to teach in an area of deprivation, where schools are run by the community. Accompanied by PGCE tutors Julie Reynolds (Primary), Jo Wright (Primary) and Andrew Carr (Secondary), these students do get a chance to explore the landscape through safari adventures and visits to the Masai Mara. It is certain that for many reasons, this trip will be full of unforgettable moments.