UCT Online High School to launch matric programme for adults

The University of Cape Town’s online high school says it will offer an additional curriculum in the form of the Cambridge Assessment International Education – priced at R3,300 per month.

The UCT Online High School ecosystem was designed to service South African learners from a broad range of socioeconomic means. It offers a CAPS-aligned curriculum, which enables learners in grades 8-11 in any corner of the globe the opportunity to study at a monthly fee of R2,195 per month, making it one of the most affordable private schools in the country. Grade 12 will be offered from 2023.

“Cambridge International is one of the world’s most prestigious international curriculums, recognised by over 2,000 tertiary institutions worldwide, including all major local universities,” UCT said.

The qualification will find its roots in Africa through UCT, with plans to expand to the rest of the continent in time.

“With nearly a million learners in 10,000 schools in 160 countries, a Cambridge International qualification is a powerful global passport to the future. As the most affordable fully accredited Cambridge International school in Africa, UCT Online High School is proud to be able to offer this qualification to learners in South Africa and beyond.

“Starting with South Africa’s closest neighbours, they aim to expand their reach to the rest of the African continent in the near future.”

In addition to the Cambridge International qualification, the UCT Online High School is to launch an adult matric programme, offered fully online, and part-time.

“At any given time, there are about 250,000 people working towards a matric certificate outside the full-time, in-school system. Since an average of 800,000 candidates write matric examinations each year, this means that about a third of the total matric cohort are ‘on the fringe’ or ‘non-traditional’ learners,” UCT said.

“A matric certificate can transform young and old people’s futures alike, by signalling their knowledge and skills to employers, creating pathways to further education, and ultimately improving their chances of finding work, keeping a job, and earning a higher salary.”

UCT launched its Online High School in 2022, becoming the first university in the country and on the continent to extend its services to the secondary schooling market online. The school is purpose-built to allow South African learners to work towards their National Senior Certificate from anywhere in the country.

As part of its initial offering, it also launched UCT Online High School’s Free Curriculum, which is a free online school platform that allows any guardian, learner or educator to access their full CAPS (National Senior Certificate) curriculum.

The school says it has processed 5,000 CAPS learners do date.

Read: UCT’s new online high school is hiring 300 new staff, and offering scholarships for 100 learners