At the beginning of 2022 the University of Cape Town (UCT) kicked off the ambitious academic year of digital learning via its Online High School. With half of the year under its belt, now UCT is expanding its offering, having recently announced the addition of Cambridge International qualifications to its curriculum.

“A year, and some 5,000 CAPS learners later, they are immensely pleased to be able to offer an additional curriculum in the form of the Cambridge Assessment International Education — the most affordable Cambridge International qualification in Africa at R3,300 per month,” UCT’s vice chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng (pictured above), enthused in a press release sent to Hypertext.

The new offering is said to be one of the most affordable learning options for those interested in Cambridge International qualifications in South Africa. Said qualifications are recognised by over 2 000 tertiary institutions worldwide, including all major local universities, UCT notes.

“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,” adds Phakeng.

Admissions for the UCT Online High School’s Cambridge Assessment International Education are now open, with classes commencing in January 2023, after which learners will be able to enrol online from anywhere.

The new curriculum offers Lower Secondary, IGCSE, AS and A levels at R3 300 per month, but for 2023 UCT will be launching lower secondary and IGCSE.

The current breakdown of the offering is as follows:

• “Lower Secondary (years 7, 8 & 9, ages 12-14) provides learners with a broad curriculum, giving them a strong, well-rounded foundation.

• Upper Secondary otherwise known as IGCSE (years 10 & 11, ages 15-16) is the most popular international qualification for 15 – 16 years olds and focuses on core academic and language development. Our first set of IGCSE exams will be written in November 2024.

• Cambridge Advanced, the AS and A levels qualifications (Years 12 & 13, ages 17-18) is one of the strongest academic high school qualifications you can exit with, streamlining you into a focussed career path. UCT Online High School is set to expand into AS/A levels in 2025.”

To find out more about the new addition to the curriculum, head here.