Primary School

The school system has significantly increased the number of students in primary schools, but this increase has not kept pace with the population growth. The percentage of students (6 - 12 years old) in school is as follows:

	Students Age 6-12		Population Age 6-12		Percentage in School
Year 1990 1992 1994 1996 1990-96 Change	Boys 102,295 111,112 111,379 112,742 10.2%	Girls 126,791 136,286 131,284 130,279 2.8%	Boys 150,814 163,437 174,545 188,203 24.8%	Girls 151,563 161,004 172,480 186,885 23.3%	Boys 67.8% 68.0% 63.8% 59.9% (11.7%)	Girls 83.7% 84.6% 76.1% 69.7% (16.7%)

Between 1990-96, repetition rates in Primary schools ranged between 19% and 23%.

Secondary School

The growth in secondary education enrollment has exceeded the population growth rate. Two-thirds of the potential secondary school population does not attend school.

School Year 1990 1992 1994 1996 1990-96 Change

Secondary Enrollment 46,301 51,895 61,615 67,454 45.7%

13-17 Population 191,928 199,841 208,081 216,661 12.9%

Percentage Enrolled 24.1% 26.0% 29.6% 31.1% 29.0%

Teachers 2,217 1,419 1,576 1,804 39.9%

Student: Teacher 35.13 36.57 38.81 37.39

Primary School Dropout Rate   7.0% 16.5% 10.8%   7.5%

• Between 2001-2002, Lesotho expects to spend 26.5% of its total Government budget on education, with 51% of the education funds going to Primary, 23% to Secondary and 24% to Tertiary.
• 1996 Primary School ratios for student:classroom = 49.12, student:teacher = 30.76.
• Literacy rate for people over 15: 71.3%
• NUL National Student Fees (2000): M3,000-M3,400 ($500-$570).

• Range of school fees reported by PC-L: R60 to R820 ($10 to $137)
• Average Primary School Fees reported by PCVs: R125 ($21)
• Average for High School Students reported by PCVs: R650 ($109)
• Total FOL funds sent for TAP between 1990 and 2000: $12,500

Conclusion - A little bit of FOL assistance goes a long way to helping Lesotho students stay in school. Although we don't have data on how many students the $12,500 has helped to date; it certainly has been well over a hundred of the brightest and needy students identified by PCVs.

2005 Update - The Government of Lesotho is phasing in free Primary education, but High Schools will still charge tuition. The following two schools are examples of 2005 tuition, excluding books, uniforms, etc.:

• Hlotse High School: 1480 rand/year ($246 USD) tuition only
• Tsikoane High School: 1040 rand/year ($173 USD) tuition only

• 1999 Total Population: 2.1 million (66 people/sq.km or 171 people/sq.mi - as a comparison, the population density of Virginia is 157 people/sq.mi).
• 1999 est. - 73% Rural (World Bank) - 40% under age 14 (2000 est. CIA).
• 1992 est. - 90% Rural, 40% under age of 15 (US AID).
• 1999 Population Growth Rate - 2.2%, (Sub-sahara Africa Average = 2.6%) (WB)
• 1992 Growth Rate - 2.7% (Sub-sahara Africa Average = 2.8%) (US AID)
• 1999 Infant Mortality/1000 births - 93 (Sub-sahara Africa Average = 92) (WB)
• Estimated 2000 Population Growth Rate - 1.65% - CIA (net migration = -0.64 migrants per 1,000 population).

• Exchange Rate: 1US$ = 8.4765R = 8.4765M (9/9/01 - Lycos Travel)
• 1992 GNP/capita - $590 (Sub-sahara Africa Average = $846) - US AID
• 1998 GNP/capita - $696 - IMF
• 1999 GNP/capita - $560 (Sub-sahara Africa Average = $500) - World Bank
• 1999 Percent of population below national poverty line = 49%, with substantial unemployment/underemployment affecting more than half of the labor force (WB).
• Growth in GNP/capita, 1989-99: - 0.1% (Economic output dropped 10% in 1998 due to civil disorder but recovered slowly in 1999).
• In 1990 - RSA mine remittances added 67% to Lesotho's GDP, where as mine remittances in 1996 added 33% to Lesotho's GDP. Roughly 35% of active male wage earners work in RSA.
• Main exports: Ceramics, clothing, inedible crude materials, cut diamonds, footwear and footwear components, furniture, miscellaneous manufactured goods and wool. Est. 1998 exports value = $235 million (65% SACU, 34% North America).
• Main imports: Cereals, electricity, food ingredients, machinery, medicines, miscellaneous manufactured goods, oil products and petroleum products. Est. 1998 imports value = $700 million (90% SACU, 7% Asia).

• 1993 estimated land use: Arable land 11%, permanent crops 0%, permanent pastures 66%, forests and woodland 0%, other 23%.
• 4,955 km roads, 887 km paved and 4,068 km unpaved (1996 est.)

Adult Literacy - Females Adult Literacy - Males Employment - Females Employment - Males GDP Million US$ GDP per Capita US$ Population / sqkm Rate of Urban Growth Est. Population 2025

Lesotho 62% 81% 48% 85% 1,018 505 70 5.3% 2.4M

Botswana - - 65% 83% 4,944 3,209 3 3.0% 1.2M

Namibia - - 54% 81% 3,318 2,046 2 3.8% 2.0M

South Africa 82% 82% 46% 79% 129,094 3,331 35 1.9% 35.1M

Swaziland 76% 78% 41% 80% 1,313 1,420 52 3.9% 1.4M

Zimbabwe 80% 90% 67% 86% 8,990 802 31 3.5% 9.5M

Source: United Nations and Population Reference Bureau