Forty geography students from Bedales got the New Year off to a great start this January joining a trip of a lifetime to Morocco, as part of the new Geography Bedales Assessed Course (BAC).
Travelling high into the Atlas Mountains, students joined the eight-day expedition starting in Marrakesh and travelling out to the Sahara desert. Moving through the array of changing landscapes, students were able to see how the physical and human landscapes have been shaped over the years. From modern mining of copper to traditional farming in the valleys, students observed the stark differences in development along the way.
In a country where many rural communities are only just starting to receive electricity and are trading animals for TVs to be connected to the outside world, the students explored educational issues, discovering that education is only compulsory to the age of 11 and that in remote rural areas is only part time because of the long distances to travel to school. Many of these experiences opened the eyes of these students to challenges of living in a country that is rapidly becoming a ‘tourist hub’ whilst attempting to retain its cultural and traditional strengths.
Highlights of the eight-day visit included: hiking through the Dades valley; seeing the sheer size of the Todra Gorge, with its 1000ft high cliffs, and the damage caused when flash floods move through the seasonal river beds; and riding camels on route to a desert camp on the edge of the Sahara desert for a night under the stars. The finale being a day-and-a-half in the vibrant city of Marrakesh; exploring the colourful and exotic markets.
Kirsty Layton, Bedales Head of Geography, who accompanied the students on the trip, said: ‘This was an amazing experience going to a country that is a geographer’s paradise with mountain ranges, inspiring architecture and culture and the beginning of the largest desert on the planet. Morocco is a beautiful country, with the striking reds of the earth constantly on display. The trip makes cultural differences a reality for our students who will be able to draw on real experience in their work and future!’
All Bedales Year 10 and 11 students follow the BAC Geography course, which is a more rigorous and in-depth course than the traditional GCSE and provides an excellent foundation for students taking the subject to A-level and beyond.