The Kingdom of Lesotho Takes a Leadership Role in STEM Education

The Kingdom of Lesotho is already an international leader in fields ranging from water-generated electricity to garment manufacturing. Now this sub-Saharan African nation is on the move in STEM education, with CTL’s Progressive Science Initiative® (PSI®) and Progressive Mathematics Initiative® (PMI®) pilot programs for 8th and 9th grade students actively implemented in 24 schools throughout the country.

An enthusiastic team of 45 Lesotho science teachers and inspectors, and 35 math teachers and inspectors began in 2018 with a 15-day training facilitated in person by CTL. Science teachers learned course content and teaching methods for chemistry, and math teachers learned geometry. The training emphasized peer-reviewed micro-teaching, where Lesotho teachers led lessons for each other and got specific feedback from their peers.

The teachers were also excited to return to classrooms recently equipped with state-of-the-art technology including projectors, interactive boards, laptops and polling devices; ensuring preeminent educational environments, and further positioning their students to excel in STEM.