General
Blending online learning, traditional schooling the way forward?─── 11:33 Fri, 22 May 2020
With the reality of life with the coronavirus pandemic setting in, and societies opening up from the lockdown enforced to curb the spread of the virus, schools are also innovating ways to open up while maintaining COVID-19 precautions.
Those who are wary about sending kids back to physical school have various online options in South Africa.
Parents must ensure that the online schools they choose are registered with the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (Sacai), a non-profit company that provides National Senior Certificate (NSC) assessment services to a diverse range of educational institutions. Could this be the future of schools in our new reality?
A blended model of learning
Some schools may take a shared approach with parents, proposing a model where students continue learning online past June 1, only with each grade having physically class contact sessions once a week with the school adhering to the recommended Covid-19 safety precautions.
The Curro group is set to share the details of their online school which will have teachers conducting lessons virtually and with parents taking on the role of supporting the kids through checking homework etc. as they did in a pre-COVID world.
Full online learning
The pandemic has given parents the opportunity to trial remote online working and some may have found that it’s actually a real option which is also affordable.
Virtual schools offers Grade RR to 12 learners a blended curriculum, meaning it makes use of rich, multimedia-based internet content (with group classes and recorded classes) and traditional textbooks, internally generated and developed study guides and assessment materials. The cost starts at R3,500 per year for Grade R and reach R27,530 per year for Grade 12.
For those wanting a virtual option with a non-South African curriculum. Cambrilearn is an online school that teaches learners the British curriculum. They have daily interactive lessons, with on-demand online chat, and teachers who are also available for one on one private lessons. Fees start at R10,000 a year, and can go up to R60,000.
Afrikaans medium of instruction schools online
Die Wolkskool is an Afrikaans speaking online school that offers Grade 1 to Grade 12 that uses video lessons but is not registered with Sacai.
