Primary & Secondary Education News

Ensuring quality education in specialist schools

 Issued by: Impak

 

Specialist schools aim to be centres of excellence in their chosen specialism. While these schools encourage children to excel in certain areas, e.g. music, dance, or the equestrian arts, they also value quality education.

To ensure that learners attending specialist schools obtain a qualification that will allow them to write the National Senior Certificate in grade 12 (and to attend university should they wish), Impak provides such schools with quality educational products and services.

"Specialist independent schools provide learners with opportunities they would never have had in public schools," says Stefan Botha, CEO of Impak. "As a leading curriculum and service provider, our aim is to offer such schools the necessary support to ensure that learners acquire both the academic knowledge and the vocational skills needed to thrive."

A specialist school benefitting from Impak's offering is Wings Aviation Academy in Fort Beaufort. As the only school of its kind in Africa, it offers learners who have a passion for flying the opportunity to simultaneously complete a matric certificate and obtain a pilot's licence.

Founded by Dr André Verster, Wings Aviation Academy has been registered with Impak for the past three years. Catering to learners from Grade 8 to 12, it uses Impak's leading-edge CAPS aligned curriculum to not only ensure that learners get a quality education, but also because it allows them the freedom to work according to their own schedule.

"Impak offers quality learning material at an affordable cost, and the curriculum is flexible enough to allow us to incorporate practical components that provide our learners the opportunity to learn about aviation and build up flying hours while finishing Grade 12. This means that our learners are three years ahead of those who learn to fly after finishing school," explains Verster.

Of the 28 learners currently registered at Wings, 12 have already obtained their student pilot licences, and five their pilot's licenses. The school also boasts a technical department that teaches practical and theoretical aviation engineering.

According to Verster, Impak's user-friendly learning material means that learners are able to understand and complete the work on their own; self-directed learning is key at the school as learners are encouraged to responsibility for themselves. In addition, the school has benefited immensely from Impak's assessment and administrative support.

"At Wings, our passion and vision are to equip learners with a life skill, not just a Grade 12 certificate. Thanks to Impak, we are able to ensure that our learners not only receive excellent practical tuition, but also a quality academic education."

"Schools such as Wings Aviation Academy use our curriculum to accommodate learners who ordinarily could not achieve their potential or prepare for their chosen career in a mainstream school. We are proud to play a part in affording such learners the opportunity to achieve academically while reaching for their dreams," says Botha.

Impak was established in 2002 as a curriculum provider to home education learners. The company has experienced remarkable growth over the past 13 years and last year expanded its offering to include a broad range of education products and services for schools and tutors. Impak currently serves more than to 10,000 learners and more than 300 schools and tutors across South Africa. PSG Private Equity, a 100% subsidiary of the PSG Group, owns a majority share in Impak.