In July this year, the University of Cape Town (UCT) launched an online high school, and in doing so became the first university on the African continent to extend its expertise and impact to the secondary schooling market.

If the past 18 months have taught us anything, it’s that online learning is very much the way of the future. 

The public response has exceeded all expectations with more than 5 000 learner applications for January 2022, a number that is steadily climbing.

Ahead of the first learner intake in January, UCT is also proud to confirm the placement of its UCT Online High School Director and Principal, Ms Yandiswa Xhakaza, who is an avid educationalist. 

Yandiswa experienced the dire consequences of an unequal education system as a young girl. These inequalities left an imprint so profound that she has dedicated her life to finding effective solutions to provide high-quality education at scale. 

She holds a Bachelor of Education degree (Wits University), a Postgraduate Diploma in Management (Wits University), and a Master of Business Administration (University of Pretoria).

Yandiswa believes that UCT Online High School is exactly what this country needs:

“Online education in our context will always come with its own fair share of challenges as a developing country. The digital divide is significant and we have to work around the digital barriers such as poor network coverage, data costs, access to devices and computer literacy to mention a few.

This is exactly the type of challenge I am excited about, because when we get this right, it will be a massive win for all of us.” 

Yandiswa begins her tenure as the Director and Principal of the UCT Online High School from November 2021 ahead of its first official cohort, cementing her role as its leader from the outset.

UCT Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng welcomed the appointment.

“Yandiswa embodies what we as an institution stand for: building an inclusive society using the knowledge and resources that we possess.

Her experiences and passion is just what we need to make a success of the UCT Online High School, which is a key project of the university’s Vision 2030 and shows how we are committed to unleashing human potential across our society.”

The UCT Online High School ecosystem has been designed to service South African learners from a broad range of socioeconomic means, offering a CAPS-aligned curriculum.

This affords learners in grades 8-11 in any corner of the globe the opportunity to study at a monthly fee of R2 095, making it one of the most affordable private schools in the country. Grade 12 will be offered from 2023. 

Admissions for the UCT Online High School opened on July 21, 2021, ahead of school commencing in January 2022, and applications are still open till the end of October 2021.

Yandiswa has some advice for parents:

UCT Online High School’s learners will benefit from high-quality one-on-one tutoring from expert teachers and support coaches, and be prepared with a unique range of university and career preparation services and offerings.

For more information on the UCT Online High School, here are the contact details:

• Email: admissions@uctohs.valentureonline.com
• Number: +27 21 140 1792
• Website: www.uctonlinehighschool.com

Get in touch, and say hello to the future of online learning.