AN intrepid Consett Phd student is finding out about education on the other side of the world - as a teacher in a rural village school in Central America.

Paul Whillis, 22, from Consett, is taking part in a five-month expedition to Belize with the conservation charity Trekforce Expeditions.

He flew to the remote country in mid-February and completed a number of tasks including surviving in the jungle for six weeks before settling down to teach.

He said: "We are here to help the children in my school learn English and other subjects to give them a better chance of finding employment outside their village.

"I wanted to see more of the world having been confined to academic study all my life," he added.

Paul, who raised money for the trip while still at university, returns later this month, and plans to complete a Phd in London.