Most parents are looking for safe school environments where their children can learn and thrive. But for many, the expectations go beyond academic scores and subject choices. Underlying these basics of what we expect from schooling, are deeper aspirations that include their child’s social and emotional development, as well as the hopes that through their educational and school community experiences, our children will find opportunities to discover, explore and hone their interests and aptitudes. In essence, as parents what we want most is that our children are building the skills and the mindset needed to navigate an ever-changing world. Mark Anderson, Principal and Co-founder of Koa Academy, South Africa’s leading high-engagement online school says, “At Koa Academy, we don’t believe these deep aspirations for our children should be left to chance or assume they will be realised by default. Instead, we’ve distilled these deeper desires into key principles that guide how we teach and engage with learners. Everything we do – from our teaching methods to our school structure and values – is intentionally designed to help learners prepare for a meaningful, successful life.” Every year many South African families have decisions to make about their child’s schooling. Beyond asking the standard questions about what a new school has to offer academically, it helps for parents to also assess whether the school is likely to deliver on those crucial, deeper aspirations they have for their child.

Prioritising soft skills

Parents increasingly recognise the importance of soft skills in helping their children succeed. Skills such as creativity, critical thinking, empathy, communication, and problem-solving are vital. While hard skills like technical knowledge are valuable, they’re easier to acquire than the ability to handle complex situations or build meaningful relationships. The job market agrees: LinkedIn reports that soft skills are the top priority for over 80% of specialised roles on their platform. Mark says, “Of course, strong academics and specialised content knowledge are essential in school. But that should not come at the expense of those transferable, relevant skills which we so often undervalue in high school education. These skills are not only essential for a strong academic education, but also for navigating a multifaceted world, making wise personal decisions, building healthy friendships and much more. This is why at Koa Academy, we ensure that opportunities for the development of soft skills are woven into every part of the learning journey, empowering learners to thrive in a variety of environments.”

Building strong foundations

Modern education shouldn’t just be about memorising facts and repeated testing. It’s about uncovering the underlying concepts of learning that cut across all content areas. For example, writing an essay in History isn’t just about remembering dates and events – it’s a powerful tool for learning to think critically and problem-solving. By focusing on the “why” behind learning, learners discover how to apply knowledge meaningfully in real-life situations. This approach helps them see the bigger picture, making their education more relevant and impactful.

Nurturing lifelong learners

A love of learning is one of the greatest gifts a school can offer. Lifelong learners actively seek opportunities to grow and improve, anywhere and anytime. This mindset not only sets learners up for academic success but also helps them adapt to an ever-evolving world. Mark says, “Both the school and home environments are places to encourage young people to develop as lifelong learners. This means cultivating healthy learning habits and routines, supporting personal interests that spark curiosity and passion, setting realistic goals to help children envision their futures, surrounding learners with mentors and peers who inspire growth and seeing mistakes as valuable feedback, not failures.”

An individualised approach to learning

No two children are the same, yet mainstream schooling most often ‘teaches to the middle’, catering to the non-existent ‘average learner’. Mark explains, “For schools to meet the demands of the modern world, teacher paced learning needs to be replaced by mastery-based learning. Teacher paced learning is when the whole class moves at the same pace as the teacher. Everyone learns the same content at the same time, whether or not it suits them. This is so prevalent in mainstream education, that we assume it’s how schools have to work. But it’s not! With mastery-based education, each learner can work through the subject content independently and out of sync with the other learners in the class. They move onto the next section as and when they master the previous section. The teacher then becomes a facilitator of individual learning journeys, rather than trying to dictate the learning pace. When a learner understands content, they are able to move through it more quickly. When they are stuck they can slow down a bit. It also means that there are far fewer learning gaps in the higher grades.”

Aligning education with your values

When choosing a school, parents should consider their values and what they truly want for their child. A great school isn’t just one that ticks traditional boxes but one that prepares learners for a world where success means adaptability, creativity, and resilience. Mark concludes, “I encourage all parents to think critically about what they really value when it comes to their child’s schooling. We should avoid assumptions that we know what we want from our child’s school by default, or because of our own experience of school years ago, or especially because of what ‘the Joneses’ want. Find a school that aligns with your family values, with a firm eye on what is really important when it comes to setting your child up for success in today’s world.”