In Lesotho, a growing trend of boarding schools catering to toddlers and preschoolers is emerging, offering a unique solution for parents who are migrating in search of better economic opportunities, particularly to neighboring South Africa. This shift reflects the challenges many families face in the landlocked country, where unemployment is high, and migration has become a lifeline for survival. As more parents leave Lesotho in search of work, they are increasingly turning to boarding schools to care for their young children.
On a bright, cloudless day in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, a small school compound is filled with the sound of children playing. Dressed in yellow uniforms, a group of toddlers rushes to embrace a middle-aged woman who has just entered the gate. Her name is Mathapelo Phalatse, and she is more than just a teacher at the Child Guidance Center (CGC) in the Qoaling community. Phalatse is a caregiver, providing physical and emotional support to children as young as two years old who stay at the school for extended periods while their parents are away.
Phalatse’s role is becoming increasingly common in Lesotho. CGC is one of several boarding schools that have opened across the country, offering an affordable option for working-class parents who are unable to take their children with them as they seek employment abroad. These schools cater to a wide age range, with some accepting children as young as two and others up to 12 years old. For 2,500 South African rand ($144) per month, CGC provides lodging, meals, education, and general care for the children in its care.
The rise of these boarding schools for toddlers is largely a response to Lesotho’s economic challenges. With an unemployment rate of 16.5% and only 10% of the population employed in the formal sector between 2018 and 2023, many families are left with few options but to migrate for work. Lesotho’s economy is heavily dependent on South Africa, through which it receives all its imports. It is also one of the most migration-dependent countries globally, according to a report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). This reliance on migration is evident in the fact that 43% of households in Lesotho have at least one member living away from home.
Many of these migrants work in low-skilled or informal sectors in South Africa, such as supermarket cashiers, domestic workers, and factory employees. For these families, the decision to leave their children behind is often a difficult one, but boarding schools offer a semblance of stability and care in their absence. While relatives or nannies may have once been the primary caregivers for children left behind, these schools now serve as a growing alternative, especially for those who lack family support.
The number of boarding schools catering to toddlers in Lesotho is difficult to quantify, as government data on this emerging phenomenon is scarce. However, local media reports and anecdotal evidence suggest that their numbers are increasing. An April report from the Lesotho Times highlighted how these schools are particularly beneficial for parents seeking work abroad who cannot bring their children along.
Yet, this trend also raises important questions about the impact on the children left behind. While these schools may provide care and education, the emotional toll of prolonged separation from parents is a concern. Phalatse and other educators like her fill a critical gap, but they are not substitutes for the presence and nurturing of parents.
As Lesotho continues to grapple with high unemployment and migration dependency, the rise of boarding schools for toddlers offers both a solution and a reflection of the country’s broader socio-economic challenges. For many families, this is a necessary choice, but it also highlights the need for more sustainable economic opportunities within Lesotho itself—so that future generations might not have to grow up apart from their parents in search of a better life.
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