Think Digital Academy is an online school that provides educational programmes for grades R to 12. They have three different curricula to choose from: South African CAPS, British International, and United States GED.

For South African CAPS curriculum, Think Digital Academy is registered with the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI). CAPS are also available in both English and Afrikaans.

Think Digital Academy also has short courses in coding and robotics, mind power for kids, and mind power for teens. These are self-paced and perfect for those who want to try out remote learning.

What’s great about Think Digital Academy is they’re open internationally and allow students to learn anywhere from around the world. They also allow a free 14-day trial, which is awesome.

Another thing we like about this school is its organised learning structure. You can easily view the key services Think Digital Academy provides, as well as their process of running an online school.

As for the tuition fees, it depends on what level you’ll enrol your child in, and whether you’ll avail of online tutor support or not. For the educational programme with online support, fees range from R 4,900 to R 16,400 depending on the grade level.

There are multiple complaints about the quality of Think Digital Academy’s student support, though. 

Reports say parents are disappointed that it seems their children are being neglected by the school’s tutors and representatives considering how unresponsive they are.

There is also negative feedback regarding the standard of learning materials distributed to the students. We’re told there are many grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors in the instructional materials, which is a dismay.

CambriLearn Online Schooling is an internationally accredited school that offers online education to primary and high school students. They’re recognised by Cognia and are also SACAI-accredited. 

One thing we like about this school is they offer flexibility in terms of the educational curricula available. You can enrol your child in either the British (Cambridge) curriculum or in South African CAPS.

We like that you can avail of their programmes regardless of whether your child is a full-time homeschooler or enrolled in a traditional school and looking for education support. 

CambriLearn Online Schooling is well-staffed with several teaching professionals handling different subjects from grades R to 12. 

They offer three different packages: starter, standard and premium. The difference between the three is students’ access to special features like chat forums, assessment trackers, academic support, and more.

We think the premium package is the best choice as it grants students access to all features, including attending online Q&A Sessions, as well as chatting with their teachers directly.

Price-wise, annual fees differ from each grade level. For the premium package, yearly tuition fees range from R 784 to R 2,180, which is quite cheap compared to other home and online schools.

Nonetheless, we do have some concerns about CambriLearn Online Schooling’s student support. 

Firstly, there are a handful of grievances regarding the school’s and its teachers’ unresponsiveness to students’ questions and concerns. 

Also, students find it annoying and inconvenient how the school’s online portal is faulty. We’re told there are times when assessments are marked incorrectly and the trackers don’t work properly, which is disappointing, as these services are paid for.

What sets Evolve Online School apart is their tailored approach to remote learning. They implement principles following the Education Theory to be able to provide high-quality education in today’s digital world.

Unlike in other schools where learning is self-paced, Evolve Online School carries out a balance between synchronous and asynchronous learning. 

Synchronous learning covers 20% of their curriculum, where all students in the class learn together and collaborate. The other 80%, or asynchronous learning, is self-paced.

We like that Evolve Online School is supported by a team of credible learning experts employed to support the students in their classes. 

The school is registered with the Independent Examinations Board (IEB) and is a member of the ADvTECH group, which is a JSE-listed company.

Moreover, their Foundational Learning Competence was assessed and accredited by the Quality Council For Trades & Occupations (QCTO) and ETDP SETA for training courses.

Evolve Online School offer CAPS and British programmes to grades R to 11. Unfortunately, they’re still working on including the grade 12 curriculum in their system.

Take note, though, that their annual school fees are more expensive than many other home and online schools. Tuition fees range from R 23,000 to R 40,000 yearly, depending on the grade level.

On top of that, Evolve Online School also bills a non-refundable registration fee of R 300.

Despite the pricey fees, it’s awesome that they offer discounts to early enrollers, siblings, and group enrollment.

Apex Excellence Tutors is more famous for their tutoring services, but they offer homeschooling, too. 

The first thing that impressed us is their company’s growth. Even though they were established just five years ago, Apex Excellence Tutors has provided their tutoring and homeschooling services to over 3,500 students already.

Parents also appreciate how Apex Excellence Tutors helps out with student registration with the Department of Education. 

They also orient parents on their responsibility to report their children’s educational progress to the Department of Education, which is helpful.

We think it’s convenient that when students enrol with Apex Excellence Tutors for self-paced homeschooling, they can also avail of the online tutoring services as a supplement.

Apex Excellence Tutors’ homeschooling follows either CAPS and Cambridge curricula for grades 1-9. Unfortunately, there seem to be no future plans in expanding their programme to cover grades 10-12.

We would’ve preferred if the annual school fees for homeschooling were posted online for easy viewing. Instead, interested guardians would have to call in or drop by their office to inquire.

Nonetheless, the company is committed to providing high-quality but affordable education to all. Also, Apex Excellence Tutors’ representatives are commended for their welcoming representatives and their timely response to assistance requests.

Mitra Academy’s mission is to make learning fun for students who have difficulties in traditional schools. 

Their programmes are also designed to develop your child’s focus and independence. Mitra Academy implements a self-organised learning method where students are trained to discover their own learning needs and techniques.

We think one of Mitra Academy’s best features is its monthly one-on-one coaching, where teachers meet with their students once a week to assess how they’re adjusting and give advice when necessary.

Mitra Academy offers South African CAPS curriculum to students in grades R to 9. They’re still working on including programmes for grades 10-12 and they’re eyeing to implement this change by 2024.

We also love how this school offers a long list of extracurricular activities that students can try out. 

Depending on the educator in charge and the number of students enrolled for the term, Mitra Academy opens learning activities such as coding, media and content creation, creative writing, community service, and many more.

Mitra Academy’s annual school fees include a personal laptop, school and learning materials, coaching, aftercare services, and outings, with a total value of R 42,900.