Private-school group Curro has opened its new DigiEd school in the Jewel City precinct in Johannesburg’s Maboneng district.

The DigiEd school is part of a new e-learning concept geared towards preparing students for the fourth industrial revolution by focusing on the development of 21st-century skills, specifically maths and science.

Lessons are conducted online in virtual classrooms, with teachers and tutors providing learners with one-on-one lessons and support as needed in real-time, giving them immediate personal assistance and ensuring that they grasp concepts before moving on.

Curro said that the DigiEd school will also have longer school hours and a no-homework policy which will it easier to accommodate working parents’ schedules and removes the pressure on learners to manage heavy assignment and study loads.

Children can be dropped off at school in the early morning and are able to remain on the premises until well after normal office hours, it said.

“Our aim is to provide inner-city learners with the kind of education that will equip them with the necessary skills to compete and succeed in the workplace of the future,” said Curro executive head, Yonela Hoza.

“The world is becoming increasingly dependent on innovation and technology, and our youth must be given the tools with which to carry that innovation forward into future generations.”

Features of the DigiEd curriculum include:

A coding and robotics programme;

Tutoring in small groups;

A longer school day, but no homework;

A Saturday programme;

An opportunity to learn advanced computer skills.

Subjects offered include:

English Home Language;

Afrikaans or other First Additional Language (TBA);

Mathematics;

Physical and Life Sciences;

Computer Applications Technology;

Information Technology;

Social Sciences;

Economic and Management Sciences;

Life Orientation;

Creative Arts.

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