In many ways, the current education system, with brick and mortar institutions, wasn’t prepared for a pandemic, especially one as contagious and easily spread as the coronavirus.

Now that many students are returning to school, following months of extreme physical distancing at home, concerns have been raised as to whether or not this is a good idea, especially in areas where many schools struggled to get the PPE necessary to keep scholars and teachers safe.

The pandemic has had a devastating effect on all sectors of society, but has also brought with it an opportunity to rethink how schooling works.

What if we re-imagined the entire education system?

What if we were able to recruit the country’s best teachers, who live and work in South Africa’s urban centres where they are well paid, and deliver the highest quality learning experience, digitally, to students right across the country?

Sounds pretty good, wouldn’t you agree?

Given current backlogs and budgets, South Africa will not be able to build enough schools and train enough teachers at the scale that is required to meet our educational needs, especially in socio-economically challenged communities. We need to think about new models of education, and new mechanisms for linking great teachers with the students who need it most.

In the heart of Mitchells Plain, Cape Town, something remarkable is happening.

In the midst of the disruption and uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying restrictions, a pioneering cohort of Grade 9 learners are charting their own tech-enabled educational pathway towards a bright new future.

Unhindered by the extended lockdown that has left their peers sitting at home, these learners have continued with their schooling unabated, working and learning online.

These learners are the first cohort of iBhodi Trust, a public-private partnership aimed at building a viable blueprint for delivering cutting edge education at scale throughout South Africa. Guided by expert teachers and supervised by dedicated, highly trained support staff, these pupils study an internationally-recognised curriculum, delivered entirely online at a dynamic physical classroom set up at Beacon Hill Secondary School equipped with 28 computers, high-speed internet, and collaborative workstations.

This space has been refurbished by the iBhodi Trust team, with technology, furniture, security and aesthetic upgrades. The classroom is spacious and allows for a comfortable degree of physical distance between learners – close enough to enable collaboration while also sufficiently far apart to encourage good health and hygiene and minimise distraction.

During ‘normal’ school times, students received their lessons online from their physical classroom space. When schools were closed during the national lockdown, iBhodi Trust provided students with the necessary technology and support systems to continue their education from home.

Founded by Robert Paddock, CEO of the Valenture Institute, iBhodi Trust is a legally distinct entity which partners closely with and is housed within the Valenture Institute to make world-class education accessible to a broad range of students. Students participating in iBhodi Trust cohorts receive a competitive online private education delivered by the Valenture Institute, with tuition fees, access to the physical learning space, support staff, equipment and other required necessities provided by the iBhodi Trust.

A total of 30 learners were offered the opportunity to participate in ITC 1, with 28 both accepting and successfully completing orientation.

As of June 26, 2020, these students have completed Term 2, which began on Monday, April 20, and ended on Friday, June 26. They will continue working from home until it is possible for them to return to their dedicated classroom space which will be outfitted with strict hygiene and health protocols.

The trial has been successful to date and provides a way forward that could ensure an equal and quality education for all students in South Africa, empowering them to be the leaders of the future.

The Valenture Institute, a global private online high school, has also secured a number of properties around the country, from Constantia to Sandton, and is set to open South Africa’s first tech-enabled, boutique campuses as soon as they are able.

Check out their website for more information on how to enrol your child in one of the world’s premier online high schools.