Pretoria - Remote learning and online schools have grown significantly since the start of the lockdown, and this trend will influence the future of schooling in the long term.
This is according to mentorship company Crimson Education manager Rebecca Pretorius, who said a number of independent schools had already committed to remote teaching for the first half of this year.
She explained that online schools had introduced new opportunities for personalised learning, from flexible class times to wide selection of international curricula and qualifications, which were in high demand.
“One aspect of remote learning or online schooling that has stuck in most people’s mind is the flexibility this affords.
“It has also given students an opportunity to learn additional skills, such as time management, which will be instrumental at university and in their careers where learning is more independent,” she said.
Pretorius said it would force academic institutions to focus on safety which will require education leaders to be upskilled on that too in terms of how to manage risks.
She added institutions would have to invest in secure platforms, making sure that students were taught digital literacy and good citizenship.
“Some students have said they were able to work more quickly and get more into a day and they also get to do things they like but in education its never a one size fits all,there are students who are more at risk because of the kind of support they need to have,” she said.
Pretoruis said students would need good WiFi and the right infrastructure, which was restrictive for a large part of the country.
She added that regardless of technology, it was known that the time was right for access to online learning however fundamentally it would be about having a brilliant teacher.
She said advancements in EdTech had increased opportunities for those with physical and learning disabilities to study at a pace and in a format that is accessible to them.
“With the rise in popularity of online learning and fully online schools, which allow for a more inclusive and globally driven education pathway, a number of South African schools are also beginning to offer streams that cover both international and local curricula too," she concluded.
Pretoria News