Cape Town - The University of Cape Town’s revolutionary Online High School, which had attracted many students after its launch, has been criticised by parents who have since removed their children, citing numerous operational flaws during its first year of operation.
Shantelle Engelbrecht from Johannesburg said it was the convenience and UCT’s much-vaunted excellence that made her opt for the high school offering for her son.
UCT OHS offered three packages: SA National Senior Certificate at R2 195 a month, Cambridge International at R3 300 a month, and 18-month Adult Matric programme from R2 195 a month.
Engelbrecht said she started to get concerned when teachers and staff started leaving regularly to pursue other interests. This had also affected her son’s mental health.
“They have so many discrepancies on reports and scripts. One parent just pointed out that the script on her child’s portal was not even her child’s. Another one had a mark for history and she doesn’t do history. The cover-ups are terrible,” Engelbrecht said.
“This school has no online classes. It’s distance learning. Your kids are teaching themselves like it’s Unisa and they should be honest. They also retrenched 190 people, including teachers.”
Parent and Goodwood resident Zayaan Isaacs said she started to get concerned after her son could not access his exam due to technical issues on the platform as well as the invigilator app for the first exam of term one.
“That was my first red flag. After this we encountered various issues, from no live lessons to lack of teacher interaction. Each time the child had a question for the teacher, he would have to request a session with the teacher, which could take about three days,” Isaacs said.
“Marking was an issue – they used external markers. There were mix-ups of results, like my son’s answer sheet being linked to another child. Children receiving zeros for exams even though they wrote. Missing assignments which they call School Based Assessments (SBA), lost exam scripts, incorrect marking. Just so many issues.”
A growing and active WhatsApp group of 30 parents called “UCT OHS Dispute” details accounts of inefficiencies from the part of the school, and they have slammed it for putting profits before the well-being of learners.
Shaheeda Kearns, from Riverlea in Johannesburg, enrolled her 14- and 15-year-old children at UCT OHS. Kearns said the major bone of contention for many was the grading system used.
Tessa Maurer Idrees, from Ottery, said the school did not communicate efficiently and transparently.
“Our son was an A-student in first term at a normal school and he became a 0-student with UCT OHS. He has never failed a subject, let alone a year or term.”
Johannesburg South parent Disebo Kekana, whose 17-year-old was in Grade 11 last year, said: “They kept postponing my son’s starting date after I paid the first full money that they wanted.”
Kekana said the main concern had been over the loss of teachers and inability to fill these posts.
“We can’t even access their portal anymore, where we can check and would be able to appeal.”
Kekana said this had a major impact on her son’s well-being.
UCT OHS executive head of school and chief academic officer, Banele Lukhele said the school had been made aware of the concerns, and that those that followed the complaints process have been formally logged, investigated and responded to.
He said 2.5% of learners had lodged appeals through the school’s appeals process.
“I will say that, given the strict parameters around online testing and examination, load shedding poses the biggest challenge to our ability to administer these efficiently.
“In addition to this, we have had additional tech issues during the course of the year. Given the fact that this was our first year of operation, we could not predict and prevent all possible issues. However, we are committed to, and continue to commit to, being responsive to these.”
In January 2022, 5 507 pupils enrolled at the school and 4 483 completed the academic year.
For 2023, UCT OHS has received 8 700 applications.
Meanwhile, other parents have expressed satisfaction over their children’s schooling, but Cape Argus was unable to reach them for comment before print.