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T
eneo online school opened its doors three years ago – two years before the word “pandemic” reared its ugly head. Of course, Teneo opened its virtual doors for completely different reasons. They knew online teaching was the future. Pandemic or no pandemic, online teaching is the answer to a rapidly changing and highly mobile world. “Digital can enhance the learning journey, not limit it,” says Paula van Berkel, Head of Academics. Unlike other online schools, Teneo is modelled on a traditional school in one major respect. Just as in a bricks-and-mortar classroom, classes operate on a timetable – school starts at 7.45am, and the first class at 8am. All students log in and out of each live class – where they interact with their teachers and peers – write mid-year and year-end exams, produce projects, and parents get school reports. Catering from Grade R to Grade 12, there are two options open to parents: Teneo School, which teaches the South African curriculum; and Teneo International School offering the British curriculum. Children in Teneo School can learn in English or Afrikaans with the final matric examinations written with SACAI (one of the three examination boards in South Africa). On the British curriculum side, students can achieve their International GCSE, AS and A levels with examinations being done
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TENEO the future school
TENEO PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH THE COMBINATION OF A TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, WITH A BLEND OF NEW SCHOOL THINKING through British International examination centres. But, more than just curriculum, it is a simple philosophy which underpins Teneo – quality schooling for all, no matter where you are. Having deliberately entered the online learning space, Teneo has researched it extensively, investigated other models and digital platforms, and created their own unique offering. “We’re offering a new paradigm of education,” says John Shaw, CEO of Teneo.
“This is not ‘home schooling’, it’s way beyond that. It’s the school of the future. We’re equipping young people with the tools to enable them to do things differently in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.” Van Berkel explains, “We are the first school in Africa and possibly the world, as far as we are aware, to have a Futures Thinking expert working with us to assist teachers with futures thinking and help integrate it into the traditional curriculum.” The school has over 300
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educators, about 95% of them full time. Teacher hiring is not bound by geo-physical barriers as teachers work exclusively in the digital space which enables them to be hired from anywhere in the world – and they are. At Teneo, the team recognises the numerous challenges facing the new world, whether it’s environmental or social. “South Africa needs a nation of self-starters and entrepreneurs to create positive action,” says Shaw.
Our goal is to produce kind young people who’re lifelong learners, and ready for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Encouraging their students to be active citizens and part of the global creative economy, Teneo understands that it is essential to teach students to have a growth mindset and to be hands-on in a world that is becoming increasingly isolated. “They’ll need to find solutions to world problems,” says Jackie Cook. “We want them to be able to look at their neighbourhoods, identify the issues, create solutions and activate communities to work together to solve them.” FOR MORE INFO www.teneoschool.co.za
