In December 2022, contacts were initiated with the Marist Network of South Africa to raise the possibility of this initiative that seeks to give continuity to the English language training that the schools of the Marist Sector of Chile carry out at Moyle Park College in Dublin, Ireland.
After a selection process of several months, 8 students from the last years of secondary school from the Marist schools of Villa Alemana, Quillota and Rancagua, travelled with the teacher Antonio Catalán (Instituto O’Higgins) on the 8th June to begin this pilot exchange project with St. David’s Marist School in Johannesburg. It should be noted that this is an all boys’ school, which is why the girls’ group will now travel in July to a co-educational school, St Henry’s Marist College in Durban.
This unforgettable experience will last until 9 July, after which a group of South African students will travel to Chile for a similar stay. During this period, each of them will be integrated with a host student in all the curricular and extra-curricular activities offered by the school. This is an immersion process that will undoubtedly help them in their academic formation, personal growth and, of course, in the development of English language skills, having to interact at all times with native speakers of the language.
It is worth noting that it is not only at school that they will experience immersion. During their stay they stayed in the homes of the host students, soaking up the culture and way of life of the South African families on a daily basis. Undoubtedly, an interesting experience of personal growth and cultural exchange that we hope to expand and maintain over time.
The Marist Brothers arrived in Cape Town in 1867, one of the first mission countries outside Europe. In the midst of apartheid politics, Marist schools decided to open their doors to students of all ethnicities, becoming multi-racial and integrating families from all walks of life. In fact, Nelson Mandela’s grandchildren are former Marist students. There are currently five schools in the network: three in Johannesburg, one in Durban and one in Cape Town.
Testimonials from the students:
Mateo Miranda, Instituto O’Higgins (Rancagua): “The truth is that the experience has been better than I expected. Personally, I have felt very welcomed by my family, the students and the teachers. The people here are very friendly, I feel that it is an experience that should last for a long time, as in a few days I have done many things such as trying different foods and improving my confidence in speaking English”.
Agustín Silva, Colegio Champagnat (Villa Alemana): “It has been a nice experience these first few days, I have made friends, I have played rugby. It’s been better than I expected because the family circle that is hosting me are very caring and concerned and I hope it continues like this and better for the three weeks that are left”.
José Tomás Neira, Instituto Rafael Ariztía (Quillota): “It has been a very good experience, from the beginning the family that is hosting me has been very nice to me and, in general, everyone has been very nice to me. Before coming here I thought that there were many things that differentiated us from the people here, but the truth is that there are many more things that we have in common. I have met many new people and if I were asked to come again, I would do it without thinking about it”.
Br. Álvaro Sepúlveda – Chile