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Recruiting and retaining teachers in rural schools in South Africa: Insights from a rural teaching experience programme

While the Department of Education in South Africa has instituted structural measures to attract the newly qualified teachers in rural schools, these measures have had limited success. This article reports on the changed perceptions on teaching in rural schools of thirty student teachers who participated in a three week rural teaching experience program. Our findings suggest that student teachers who do practicum in rural schools develop a greater appreciation of rurality and are more likely to respond positively to an appointment to teach in rural schools. This study concludes that exposure through a rural practicum could be significant in attracting qualified teachers in rural schools, where these teachers are needed most. 
Key words: Rural education, rural teaching experience, teacher education, South Africa