While South Africa’s workforce isn’t completely shifting to work-from-home soon, maybe the school system is? The University of Cape Town (UCT) has partnered with the Valenture Institute to develop a completely online high school curriculum.
“The UCT online high school ecosystem has been designed to service South African learners from a broad range of socioeconomic means,” the university said in a recent press release.
High school on the small screen
Officially named the UCT Online High School, it will offer a CAPS curriculum for learners from grade 8 to matric. Registrations for the school opened on 21 July 2021, with classes starting in January 2022. According to the website, school fees are R2,095 p/m at present. Thanks to its digital nature, students don’t have to be based in Cape Town.
“The University of Cape Town is committed to playing our part in addressing the systemic challenges facing our education system,” said UCT’s vice-chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng. “As a result, we have taken the bold step to launch an innovative online high school in January 2022, where the academic excellence of UCT can be extended to high school learners across the country.”
It’ll apply a ‘supported self-discipline model’ for students, which will allow them a level of freedom to learn at their own pace in a structured way.
All of the classes, supporting elements and digital resources will be supplied by the university, while students will need access to their own laptop and internet, we reckon. Being a university, the courses will include a variety of university and career prep services. You’ll have to go… somewhere after school, right?