Curro says its schools are ready to go virtual

Private school group Curro says its schools are equipped for virtual learning, noting that it can adopt a remote learning strategy under the current quarantine conditions in South Africa.

In light of president Cyril Ramaphosa’s instruction for South Africa to enter into a 21-day lockdown in an effort to try curb the current Covid-19 health crisis, Curro Holdings’ school campuses will remain closed until it is declared safe for doors to re-open, the group said in a statement on Thursday (2 April).

“The safety of learners and staff remains Curro’s utmost priority, as the group continues to monitor all alerts issued by the President, the Department of Health as well as the Department of Education.”

Curro Holding currently has 166 schools and 70 campuses under management – and around 63,000 learners.

While schools remain closed, the group has announced that its schools are equipped for learning to continue via a virtual and remote learning strategy.

“As the education sector works to move in-classroom education into the virtual realm, Curro is well-equipped in this area with the group’s online learning approach stemming from years of development,” it said.

The education group’s teachers, staff members and learners has access to a set of digital tools and solutions to facilitate remote learning. “Curro’s priority is to ensure that learners continue to receive quality education so as not to fall behind in their studies.”

Microsoft Office 365 for Education and other tools have been made available for teachers to connect and engage with groups of learners in real-time to facilitate online lessons. Content will be accessible in the form of recordings.

“The software also enables teachers to share videos, resources and tasks to aid in learners completing work in their own time – independently or in groups through the use of collaboration tools.

It remains a priority for Curro that their teachers keep in contact with the learners as much as possible. Learners will be able to access all resources on most devices, the group said.

Read: Here’s how much it costs to send your kids to a Curro private school