File Photographer Ayanda Ndamane - African News Agency (ANA)
Parents of goal-driven academic learners, learners involved in high-performance sports and culture activities, or introverted learners looking to avoid crowded registration or assemblies now have the option to attend afternoon classes at a Curro school instead of the traditional schooling schedule.
The private South African school Curro Holdings will be rolling out CurroPM – a new approach to teaching that aims to provide learners with the opportunity to choose an alternative afternoon learning schedule.
CurroPM will be run from 2023 on the state-of-the-art Curro Durbanville High School campus in Cape Town.
According to the Curro website, CurroPM will be offered to Grades 7 to 9 for now, with higher grades phasing in annually.
What will a school day look like for CurroPM?
The JSE-listed independent school says that classes will run from 13.45 – 18.30 from Monday to Thursday and from 13.45 – 16.00 on Friday with a 20-minute break. The timetable runs on a 10-day cycle with six lessons on Mondays through Thursdays and three lessons on Fridays.
CurroPM is set to provide learners with the opportunity to pursue their academic goals; be themselves in a relaxed, close-knit setting; meet like-minded people; enjoy Curro Durbanville’s sporting facilities, including the dance and drama studios, and engage with Curro Durbanville’s therapists and counsellors.
“With this new offering, freeing up the morning time means that academic overachievers can sleep late after burning the midnight oil, budding sports stars can enjoy some valuable training, and introverts can avoid large social gatherings like registration and assemblies,” Riaan Stroebel, the executive head at Curro Durbanville, told BusinessTech.
“We know not all learners and their families are suited to the nature and character of a traditional school routine, which is why a customisable and personalised approach to learning is so critical.
“Personalised learning is known to boost engagement, responsibility, and productivity while reducing anxiety and stress,” he added.
The school-within-a-school model will have its own management team and will follow a more relaxed uniform and hair rulebook.
Learners will have access to all the subjects offered in the AM academic programme, and while extramural activities are not compulsory at CurroPM, they are available.
However, in order to get admitted to CurroPM, learners will be required to write benchmark tests in Mathematics and literacy before.
According to Curro, there is a non-refundable enrolment fee of R4260, and the school fees for CurroPM are the same as the school fees for Curro Durbanville, Grade 7 to Grade 9.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Education