The State of Art in Lesotho’s Education System: Conflict or Cooperation

Abstract

This study explored the perceptions of the government education officers, church officials and community members about the relations between the churches and government in the provision of education in Lesotho. A Multi-method approach was adopted to investigate these perceptions. Both the questionnaires and interviews were utilized to collect data from the primary sources of this study. The findings confirmed what has already been documented in the literature that the relationships between the church and state (government) in Lesotho have been optimized by the conditions of harmony as well as conflict. The result showed that there has been ongoing power struggle between the churches and government in the provision of education. The power relations between these institutions were asymmetrical. The government contests for a greater control of education system while the churches try to resist the government’s control and struggle for more power over their schools. The study has also identified several factors that hinder the effectiveness and efficiency of the partnership. These factors are typical management problems associated with all social organisations. The effects of these factors are far reaching and undermine the quality and standards of education in Lesotho.