Raggytash - of course its not the same - but its the same people.

When we started teaching a lot of colleagues had done VSO. Me - I applied for a job in Nepal - but they thought I ( being female ) would not be up to the trecking it involved. So I can't say I've done it - but our best man has done lots of work in third world countries.

The current generation of students seem to be more like our generation - more adventurous and willing to do VSO as a gap year.
FloraG