SEDGEFIELD NEWS - Skye Austin, a 2021 matriculant from Sedgefield, outdid herself and thousands of other Grade 12 contenders by emerging as the top-scoring matriculant in South Africa for the South African Com-prehensive Assessment Institute (Sacai) NSC exams out of nearly 4 000 candidates.
Skye (18) obtained the highest average of the 3 994 matric candidates to write the examinations, and also obtained seven distinctions in the process.
"I'm ecstatic to finally hold my matric certificate, after years of hard work," says an elated Skye, who made the transition to online school in 2020 from a traditional brick-and-mortar school.
Two subjects Skye enjoys and thrived in are mathematics (96%) and life sciences (88%). Her marks, combined with her passion, helped her to secure one of the few spots to study Veterinarian Science at the University of Pretoria.
This week Skye answered some questions about her online schooling experience:
What did you enjoy about live online school?
"Aside from wanting to protect my family from being exposed to Covid-19 while I was at school, I was also concerned about how the unpredictability of the school year would affect my results," she says.
Her online school was divided between live classes with teachers and others students and "self-study" time, which she found greatly beneficial.
"I learn best when studying by myself, from the comfort of my own home, with far fewer distractions than I would have in a physical classroom. The class recordings are also a great help when it comes to revision."
Skye is an avid horse rider who has spent most of her life competing.
"I found that online students have more freedom to plan our time and how we use and prioritise it- an essential life skill - and this made balancing school with training sessions manageable.
"It helps students to pursue other interests and passions, and my passion for horses and animals is what has led me to want to study Veterinarian Science," she says.
What do you want people to know about online school?
"I think South Africans are starting to see the benefits of online school, but many are perhaps still a bit hesitant to take the leap. I would like to tell them that it offers the same standard of teaching (if not higher) than any physical school does, and gives more curriculum options.
"At the end of the day, you walk away with the same National Senior Certificate that will unlock your future," says Skye.
Although the interactions are virtual, she maintains that she still forged fantastic relationships with teachers and her peers which she values, and that this encourages students to make friends from all over the country.
What should you look for when choosing an online school?
"When searching for an online school it is important to consider whether the school has the best online infrastructure necessary to support academic activities so that engaging classes and remote exams are seamless, no matter how many students are on the system at the same time," says Skye.
She notes that it is also important to consider which extra-curricular and social activities you wish to partake in, if this is important to you.
"As my own sports were external to the school, online schooling did not stop me from following my passions and was therefore a good decision for me."
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