This study examined how the Lesotho Education Act of 1995 was initiated, formulated and implemented. In addition, the study investigated teachers' perceptions of the impact of the Act on them. The study was conducted through stakeholder interviews, school visits and an examination of official documents, education reports and minutes of meetings. First, the study has established that the Act was initiated to phase out churches from school management in church schools, contrary to its stated objectives of promoting education. Second, the process of formulating and implementing the Act was bureaucratic and lacked coherence, sustainability and political consensus. Third, the Act has left teachers disillusioned and feeling disempowered by not accommodating their representation in structures dealing with their employment, conditions of service, promotion and demotion, transfer, discipline, dismissal, and designing the national curriculum. It has no provision for them to unionise, and does not even bind the employing authority to allow them to influence policies at national level. Fourth, on the provision of education, the Act is seemingly inconsistent with the national Constitution and other conventions on the Rights of Child and conventions which Lesotho signed. Contrary to them, the Act makes the provision of education in Lesotho circumstantial. Keywords: Lesotho Education Act 1995, Lesotho Education Stakeholders, Lesotho Church Education, Lesotho government and churches, Lesotho Teachers,

This is a case study that investigated the Pitseng Primary School stakeholders' understanding of the purpose and objectives of Free Primary Education (FPE), the strategies that they have developed and adopted for the implementation of this programme, the challenges they encountered in their efforts to implement FPE, and how they addressed these challenges. Pitseng Primary School is located in the Leribe district in Lesotho. The study used the questionnaires which were administered to teachers and the governing body of Pitseng Primary School. Group interviews were conducted with 8 teachers and 3 members of the governing body. Individual interviews were conducted with 10 parents and the researcher used observations to collect and verify the data. This study was informed by critical, pragmatic and positivistic approaches to policy implementation. The findings of this study have revealed that the Pitseng Primary School's stakeholders understand the purpose of FPE as a vehicle to make all Basotho children get basic education, provide jobs for the needy Basotho people, eliminate hunger and malnutrition among the Basotho children, and reduce teenage and juvenile crime. The study has also found that there are no formally developed and adopted strategies for FPE implementation at Pisteng Primary. The government determines all the strategies, and the actions that various stakeholders take at the school/community level are an ad hoc response to the pressing demands of FPE implementation. Lack of resources, massive enrolment of pupils, lack of co-operation among stakeholders, and HIV/AIDS are some of the challenges that impede the effective implementation of FPE at Pitseng Primary School. The information that the government relayed to parents lacked insight of the practical implications for FPE implementation at Pitseng Primary and this has created a conflict between various stakeholders at the school regarding the implementation of this programme. To facilitate the school's efforts towards effective implementation of FPE and resource mobilisation, the study recommended that the stakeholders at Pitseng Primary School should hold regular meetings wherein they clarify the role and responsibilities that all parties have to play for the implementation of FPE. The government of Lesotho should give the school autonomy to develop appropriate strategies for the implementation of this programme. / Thesis (M.A.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2004.

Bibliography: leaves 55-60. / The primary aim of this study is to investigate the Lesotho Education Ministry textbook distribution policy in order to * understand the relationship between equity and efficiency in textbook distribution policy and practice * investigate whether there is differentiation between urban and rural schools in textbook distribution policy and practice. The study examined policy and practice at the level of the Ministry of education as implemented by the School Supply Unit, and at the level of the school. The study took the form of a case study. First, official documents were analysed to develop an account of the textbook provision scheme, its origins, objectives, form and content. Secondly, interviews and a questionnaire provided participants views, attitudes, perspectives, expectations and experiences in relation to the scheme. Finally, an inventory of books and an analysis of order and inventory forms supplied evidence of what books were actually available in the schools. This was sometimes but not always, motivated by the desire to effect equity. On the whole, the outcomes of the textbook distribution scheme were found to be fairly equitable. This can be explained with reference to * the fact that up to a point improved efficiency also brought improved equity * the ad hoc adaptations of policy in practice by officials and school staff and * the efforts of the rural based school parent community to take full advantage of the scheme.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The central question of this thesis is whether free and compulsory primary education in primary government schools of Lesotho has the potential to be thickly democratic. I hold that the Free and Compulsory Primary Education (2000) policy is a less democratic project because it is characterised by principles of thin democracy. My claim is that free and compulsory primary education in Lesotho can be more democratic if there is balance in the demand for equity of access in the FPE (2000) project. I hold that in order to succeed in further democratising the Free and Compulsory Primary Education (2000) programme, the whole process, but primarily the structures of education, should be anchored within thick democratic principles. Although primary education is regarded to have changed, this change has been illusory or superficial (meaning that it is still essentially the same as the colonial one), as it did not affect the structure and value systems governing the delivery of education. The reported conflicts that have come to the fore after independence have been mostly on matters of strategy rather than differences in terms of the values that drive the delivery of education in Lesotho. The focus of Lesotho's education has remained on an elitist and outwardly looking minority. This powerful minority remains geared towards the acquisition of a Western type of education driven by Western values. Lessons and opportunities that could have been learnt from Sotho (pre-colonial) educational experiences and which were regarded as democratic have been lost. I contend that a democratically driven education system has to draw its inspiration from the principles of thick democratic education. An effective and transformational educational system requires the commitment of those in political leadership as well as those in charge of education. This commitment must include a desire to implement an education system that transforms people's worldview qualitatively to put them at the service of their nation. I hold that the value of education in Lesotho can be successful when it is capable of producing men and women of the highest integrity, honesty, tolerance, responsibility and accountability. The education system should produce individuals who are hard working, patriotic, well mannered and committed to serving their society. Education should be able to equip each and everyone to contribute meaningfully to the development of the nation. Finally, the teaching of thick democratic attributes must be founded on the bedrock of a successful education system in Lesotho from the lowest classes or grades. KEYWORDS: Free and compulsory education, democratic education, quality education, equality in education, thick and thin democracy in Lesotho. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die belangrike vraag in hierdie tesis is of gratis en verpligte primêre onderwys in primêre skole in Lesotho die potensiaal het om "dik" demokraties te is. Myns insiens is die beleid van gratis en verpligte primêre onderwys (2000) 'n minder demokratiese projek aangesien dit deur die beginsels van onvoldoende ("dun") demokrasie gekenmerk word. Ek voer aan dat gratis en verpligte primêre onderwys in Lesotho meer demokraties kan wees indien daar 'n balans in die vraag na gelyke toegang in die Gratis Primêre Onderwys-projek (2000) bestaan. Ek meen verder dat die hele proses, maar hoofsaaklik die onderwysstrukture, in demokratiese beginsels veranker behoort te wees ten einde die verdemokratisering van die program vir gratis en verpligte primêre onderwys (2000) suksesvol deur te voer. Alhoewel daar gereken word dat primêre onderwys verander het, was hierdie verandering denkbeeldig of oppervlakkig (waarmee bedoel word dat dit steeds wesenlik dieselfde is as die koloniale onderwysstelsel), aangesien dit nie 'n invloed gehad het op die struktuur en waardestelsel wat die lewering van onderwys beheer nie. Die konflikte wat aangemeld is ná onafhanklikwording het meestal te make gehad met kwessies ten opsigte van strategie eerder as verskille met betrekking tot die waardes wat die lewering van onderwys in Lesotho beheer. Die fokus op onderwys in Lesotho het gerig gebly op 'n elitistiese en uitwaartse invloedryke minderheid wat ingeskakel het by die verwerwing van 'n Westerse soort onderwys wat deur Westerse waardes gedryf word. Lesse en geleenthede wat uit prekoloniale Sothoonderwyservaringe geleer kon word en wat as demokraties beskou kon word, het verlore gegaan. Myns insiens moet 'n demokraties-gedrewe onderwysstelsel sy inspirasie uit die beginsels van demokratiese onderwys kan put. 'n Doeltreffende en transformasionele onderwysstelsel vereis die verbintenis van diegene aan die roer van sake ten opsigte van leierskap in die gemeenskap sowel as diegene in beheer van onderwys. Hierdie verbintenis moet getemper word deur 'n behoefte aan die implementering van onderwys wat mense se wêreldbeskouing op kwalitatiewe wyse transformeer ten einde hulle in diens te stel van hulle nasie en die mense. Die waarde van onderwys in Lesotho kan slegs gesien word wanneer dit in staat is om mans en vroue van die hoogste integriteit, eerlikheid, verdraagsaamheid, verantwoordelikheid en aanspreeklikheid te lewer - hardwerkende, patriotiese, goedgemanierde mense wat daaraan toegewy is om hulle samelewing te dien. Onderwys behoort in staat te wees om 'n ieder en 'n elk toe te rus om op betekenisvolle wyse tot die ontwikkeling van die nasie by te dra. Laastens, die onderrig van "dik" demokratiese eienskappe moet gebou word op die basis van 'n suksesvolle onderwysstelsel in Lesotho vanaf die laagste klasse of grade. SLEUTELWOORDE: Gratis en verpligte onderwys, demokratiese onderwys, kwaliteit onderwys, gelyke onderwys, "dik" en "dun" demokrasie in Lesotho.

A research report submitted to the Wits School of Education, Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education by combination of coursework and research. Johannesburg, 2016. / As a fulfillment to the Constitutional obligation which is to offer education as human right to everyone, Lesotho has introduced free primary education in schools. This is also a commitment to the Education For All movement. Despite the initiative the country has taken, there are some vulnerable groups of children who are deprived of their right to education. These include girls who fall pregnant while still pursuing their studies. These girls are faced with challenges which include being expelled from school when they fall pregnant. Those who are allowed to continue their studies, they experience marginalisation that may result into exclusion from school. This qualitative study has therefore investigated marginalisation that is experienced by the girls who fall pregnant while still at high school in the Maseru district of Lesotho. The study was conducted through interviews with teachers, pregnant girls, and girls who have babies and still in school, and girls who should be in school, but have been asked to leave school. The findings revealed that girls in schools and out of school are marginalised for similar and different reasons by their teachers, parents and peers. Teachers use language and labeling which humiliate these girls while parents neglect their daughters when they fall pregnant. Rejection by peers has also been revealed in this study. All these marginalisation experiences could be attributed to the silence of the Lesotho Educational Act about teenage pregnancy. Schools in the sample have different policies with regard to teenage pregnancy. As a result some schools exclude teenage mothers from education. / MT2017