5 tips on choosing the right online school

Ensuring that your child receives the best academic education is foremost on the minds of parents and families. It is, therefore, extremely important that, once you decide to go the online school route, you consider these factors when choosing a specific school:

1. Experience
Look for an online school that has a well-known brand, years of experience when it comes to online learning platforms and curriculums as well as a proven track record for methods of online instruction and assessment.

2. Accreditation
Is the online school registered with an examining body, like the Independent Examinations Board, which is accredited by Umalusi to offer the National Senior Certificate (NSC)? Such accreditation ensures that the education your child receives complies with the requirements of both the school’s examining body and the Department of Education. Then you can trust that your child’s reports or NSC is valid and will be accepted at other schools and universities, both local and abroad.

3. Online classes and resources
Does the online school offer online classes? Are these live or merely recorded? And are the presented by qualified teachers? These are important considerations, if you require online classes as part of your academic support. Besides this, see if the online school also provides other resources such as supporting learning material, a library, and a database or platform to access additional information.

4. Learning Environment
A well-designed learning environment can make the difference between an enjoyable and frustrating online school. Top schools have online classrooms that are easy to use and navigate, even if you’re not a computer expert. Their classroom technologies allow you to interact with your classmates and teacher intuitively, and provide a personal feel to the online environment. Also, check to see if the technical requirements match what you have at home. Top online schools offer a learning environment that can be accessed with the most common hardware and software technologies.

5. Programme Diversity
Online schools often have a variety of programmes and subjects. Choose a programme that best suits your needs in terms of flexibility and academic support. Also, ensure that the online school you choose has a diversity of subjects that will suit your child’s future endeavours and career choices.

At Brainline, we have been providing quality-driven education for Grade R – 12 for more than 35 years. Brainline CEO, Coleen Cronje, says they are proud to be the first online education provider recognised by the Independent Examinations Board.

For more information and a full breakdown of Brainline’s products, click here.