Online schooling

As a parent one of the biggest concerns is ensuring that your child receives a high-quality education. A good education is instrumental in ensuring your child’s success and ability to pursue their dreams. However, there are many options when it comes to education in South Africa which can make choosing the right method for your child challenging.

That is why we decided to take a look at one of the more modern education methods. Online schooling has seen a rise in popularity in recent years, due to the increased connectivity provided by the technological age. Additionally, the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated to parents and students the many merits of online schooling, leading to more and more people adopting it.

What is online schooling

Online schooling is essentially a modern form of schooling at home with one crucial difference. One form of homeschooling in South Africa is schooling at home (doing what kids do at school with a teacher, at home with a parent). In this type of model the parent must create a curriculum that meets the requirements of the Department of Education. The parent must then administer this curriculum and keep thorough records of all of their child’s assessments to be able to demonstrate the learner’s successful accomplishment of their learning.

In contrast, online schooling uses educational institutions that design their curriculum to meet the government’s standards. Additionally, these curriculums are specifically designed to be administered online. Connecting students with teachers and other learning resources through the internet, from the comfort of their own homes.

This means online schooling is an excellent alternative form of homeschooling in South Africa. 

The benefits of online schooling

There are also a number of benefits that come with online schooling, especially when compared to traditional schooling. These benefits also contribute to the rise in popularity of this form of schooling. These benefits include the following:

Accessibility

The first and one of the biggest benefits of online schooling is how accessible it is. As it allows you to study from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer with an internet connection. This means that students don’t have to commute to school, which saves time and money. Additionally, it allows students to learn from the best teachers no matter their geographical location, meaning the quality of education they receive is not limited by where they live. It also allows students to travel and see the world without having to interrupt their studies. The accessibility of online schooling is especially noticeable when compared to traditional schooling where children and teachers must meet at a set location each day for schooling to commence.

Flexibility

Online schooling is also one of the most flexible forms of education available today. As teachers and students are able to set their own learning pace, allowing them to set a schedule that suits everyone’s needs. This can teach students vital time management skills that are indispensable at all stages of their lives. With proper time management, students can find the perfect balance between their studies and all the other activities they may enjoy. This flexibility and freedom can also help to teach students about responsibility and autonomy. This is in stark contrast to traditional schooling which has set class times that students and teachers must adhere to.

Cost-effective

Another great benefit of online schooling is that it is more cost-effective than traditional schooling. This is because the costs of online educational institutions are significantly less than traditional schooling institutions. Additionally, there are fewer incidental expenses for the learner like transportation and food for the school day. To demonstrate this let us look at the cost of tuition for matric at THINK Digital academy, which is widely considered one of the best online education providers in South Africa. A matric course in the South African curriculum with them including online tutor support costs roughly R40 000 per year. In contrast, tuition at a top-performing high school like St Mary’s can cost R163 550 per year. That is almost four times the cost of online schooling. We are proud to say that based on online reviews through Google, Facebook, and Hello Peter, Elroi Academy performs even better than THINK Digital academy and is even more affordable as well.

Personalised attention

Online schooling also tends to offer more personal attention to each individual student. This is because many online learning approaches make use of pre-recorded video lessons which avail the teacher to help learners on an individual basis when they need it. In traditional classrooms, a student is one amongst many, all in the same environment working at the same pace and with the same instructions and divided attention. This can limit the amount of interaction and feedback that each student receives.

Wide range of programmes

As online schooling operates on the Internet, the expertise of specialized teachers, and collaboration between different institutions means more subjects and programs could be available to the students. In contrast, in traditional schooling students are limited to studying whatever their educational institution may be able to offer, which can limit their opportunities.

Conclusion

Online schooling is a rapidly growing industry with many great benefits for its students. Additionally, these benefits are likely to increase as the different learning platforms grow and add features to assist the students. Therefore online schooling is a great option for your kids. Ensuring they receive an education that is convenient, cost-effective and provides everything they need to achieve their dreams.Join the top online school in South Africa today.