With the necessity of social distancing in the time of Covid, it is important to offer students avenues for learning to continue so that learning loss can be curbed – because even with schools closed, learning must continue.

As an educator, I miss being in our schools and interacting with our students. Hearing laughter in class and along the corridors as I watch students explore their individual interests.

However, the reality is that Covid-19 has presented the unimaginable for teachers and learners across the world.

 

Keeping up with the rest of the world

International organisations that work to safeguard the rights of children such as Save the Children, UNICEF, Plan International and many others have come together and given recommendations on finding ways to keep children safe and learning during and after Covid-19 crisis.

Many of the current estimates of learning loss from COVID-19 already present a worrying picture for young Africans.

Our colleagues at the Brookings Institution and the World Bank estimate that, with just four months of lost schooling and little change in the quality of education, the lifetime earnings of today’s students in the United States will be greatly reduced, representing a loss of nearly 13 percent of U.S. GDP over subsequent generations.

What might that look like for us as Kenyans? What ripple impact will that cause for us? This is a global challenge and we therefore can’t ignore what statistics from across the globe indicate.

At Nova Pioneer, we believe it is our duty as educators to still forge forward, despite existing challenges, so students experience as minimal disruption as possible.

We are committed to staying up to date with what the rest of the world is doing in matters education so your children, our students, are well-equipped to solve real world problems.

 

 

Introducing a Virtual Learning Programme

At Nova Pioneer, we decided to design and offer a Virtual Learning Programme to families for two reasons:

1. so our students experience minimal learning loss during this time while they are physically away from campus; and
2. to help students retain some form of normalcy by providing them the opportunity to connect with teachers and other students, giving them a sense of connection amidst all the changes they are experiencing.

We believe that keeping children engaged in meaningful learning experiences while at home during this time, will help them improve and maintain the skills they need for once they are back in the classroom.

 

We have made the switch 

Our Virtual Learning Programme has been designed to ensure learning milestones are achieved and offers children the opportunity to stay ahead of the curve so that they are ready to begin the 2021 school year feeling confident and prepared to do well.

The programme is structured to run in three consecutive 4-week periods, spanning a total of 3 months and starting 7 September.

It also offers parents flexibility to choose preferred classes and activities. The programme comprises of three blocks a day and they focus on [1] Academic Mastery, [2] developing Innovation and Leadership Skills and [3] participating in Enrichment activities. Families can select up to two classes from each of the blocks.

See the full course catalogue

 

Why should you make the switch?

The Virtual Learning Programme offers parents flexibility. It’s not a one size fits all. You decide what you want your child to focus on.

You may want your child to (1) improve and master their academic skills; (2) develop their character and entrepreneurial skills; (3) Or cultivate skills in new areas. The programme offers the opportunity to opt into classes and courses that appeal most to you and your child.

The programme is aimed at encouraging students to:

1. adapt to a new way of learning;
2. connect with students beyond our national borders through cross geo classes with peers from South Africa and  Korea through a virtual exchange programme;
3. continuously reflect on their own personal development; and
4. contribute to finding solutions to real world problems through projects set out in their classes.

 

Academic Classes

Our Academic classes encourage inquiry instruction, critical thinking, project based learning, independent learning and self-discovery. Our teachers are well trained to deliver the curriculum in a fun and interactive virtual environment. 

 

Innovation & Leadership Classes

In our Hallmark classes, we focus on ensuring that our students are learning to think and behave like innovators and leaders. Students are given the opportunity to develop their character and entrepreneurship skills at an early age. Students are exposed early to finance and savings and learn about African history as they grow to become our leaders of today. In these classes, students gain an appreciation for research and analytical thinking as they explore solutions to problems that they observe, and test them with their peers and in the community.

 

Enrichment Classes

Our Enrichment classes are designed to allow our students to focus on skill based classes that they are personally passionate about in a fun and interactive manner. Skills from art and drawing to public speaking, digital literacy and many more.  

Students can cultivate skills in new areas, explore and develop their interests and ultimately strengthen their values while gaining skills that go beyond the classroom walls. Enrichment classes allow students to use Math to calculate measurements in plants, Geography when learning about Bible characters and the value of collaboration through group Music lessons. 

 

Speak to our Admissions Team

Are you ready to take this journey with us and start your child’s application process to enrol into our Virtual Learning Programme? We will work with you closely to ensure your questions are answered and that your child’s application is submitted.  Complete this form and we will reach out to you!

The Nova Pioneer team is excited to make some of our custom-designed and comprehensive learning resources available on our website. Parents and families who are not part of Nova Pioneer’s community can now access online learning resources for their children through the website. This initiative has been launched with the intention to support learners and families who may not have access to any, or high-quality, learning materials during the schools shut down. All of the learning packets were custom-designed by our in-house Learning Design Team for Pre-Primary to Primary School learners.

 

About our Learning Design Team

Our Learning Design Team is a unique offering available only to Nova Pioneer schools. The team is responsible for designing and creating standardised curriculum, assessments, and lesson plans for all our schools – in Kenya and South Africa. This is to ensure there is consistency in learning across all our campuses and geographies. 

In preparing for possible school closures, the Learning Design Team, in collaboration with the School Leaders and School Teams, worked to find solutions to keep learning happening remotely. The virtual learning programme that they created replicates as much of the in-class experience as possible.  

 

Our Culture Principles in action

What’s been amazing to see is that, while we normally associate our culture principles with positive times as an organisation, they are also just as applicable in this global crisis. We have put our culture principles in action over the last three weeks:

• #SolutionsFirst in our ability to quickly transition to online learning and remote working.
• #HighExpectations in continuing to hold a high delivery bar for our students. 
• #GreaterTogether in the partnerships we have strengthened with our parents as they continue to support their children from home. We have been touched by the many thank you messages received from parents. 
• #JoyofLearning in creating and delivering highly engaging learning packs.
• #ServantLeadership in how teammates from across the organisation have worked long hours to ensure that everything continues to run smoothly during a time of uncertainty.
• #AlwaysGrowing in continually improving through feedback that we get from our families on how to best deliver a home-based curriculum.

With the help of our amazing parents, we have made strides in ensuring that education and student learning continues at home, while we as a nation and a community practice social distancing. During this time, we have also all been inspired by the stories of those who have already done much to ease the tough times that many of our fellow South Africans and Kenyans are facing. 

 

We are all in this together

However, as an organisation, we have had to ask ourselves, “how can we reach beyond our own students and families.” Collectively, we feel the need to do our bit, however small that may be. With the launch of the online remote learning resources, parents who are not part of Nova Pioneer’s community will now have access to past curriculum resources for their children. While the benefits of this will not match the benefits of the full teacher-supported home-based learning programme that our own students receive, we are thankful to be able to share some resources that will support motivated students across Africa who are doing what they can to continue learning in these unprecedented times.

 

Building partnerships to support learners

Furthermore, recognising that the majority of learners in our country do not have access to internet or smart devices and, as such, are losing valuable teaching time during lockdown, Nova Pioneer has partnered with the National Association of Change Entities in Education (NASCEE) to provide learning material to children in vulnerable communities throughout South Africa.