In this episode of ITWeb TV, Sibahle Malinga chats to Shaun Fuchs, CEO and founder of Centennial Schools, about the challenges facing SA’s education system and plans to take its tech-enhanced teaching model to the Western Cape, and beyond.
Sandton-based Centennial Schools will soon offer pupils in the Western Cape the opportunity to enrol for its science, technology, engineering and mathematics curriculum, as part of its national expansion plan.
Centennial Schools has a strategy of digital learning and teaching, aligned with the needs of organisations in the digital era.
The high school says it is preparing its pupils for a digital economy though digital skills that address the deficiencies in SA’s education system.
During an interview with ITWeb TV, Shaun Fuchs, CEO and founder of Centennial Schools, noted technology is at the core of the school’s teaching approach.
In the new era, technology has been ingrained in every aspect of our lives, and offering an array of digital literacy skills will help address the digital skills gap plaguing SA, and make students as employable as possible after school, he noted.
This has prompted the school to plan a second branch in the next year or two, said Fuchs.
“We are currently looking at properties in the Western Cape. We have huge demand to open a campus in that part of the country. That in itself has challenges, as we know the property market in Cape Town is euro- or dollar-based. It is three or four times more expensive than what you would pay for a property in Gauteng, and that affects fees, etc.
“We know there is definitely a market for Centennial Schools in Cape Town. We intend to open as soon as we find the right property. My hope was as soon as next year, but that’s not going to happen, so hopefully within 2027 or 2028.
“Unlike retail, schools can only be opened in January and there is a huge amount of work that takes place before that, leading up to opening the school,” Fuchs pointed out.
In the long-term, Centennial Schools plans to expand to Dubai, as it receives many enquiries from teachers and parents in the United Arab Emirates city.
“Many local parents in Dubai have been asking if there are any plans to open a school there, so I certainly feel there is a model that can open internationally in a location like Dubai, so that would definitely be something that we would strongly consider sometime down the line.”
Shaun Fuchs, CEO and founder of Centennial Schools.
Centennial Schools has replaced classrooms with larger digital learning hubs, fitted with a computer for each pupil, to create a modern learning environment that integrates technology into every aspect of teaching and learning.
Through eSports; crypto-currency; artificial intelligence (AI) applications like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot; and content creation and design, the school seeks to equip pupils for the future of work.
“Our aim is to create the most digitally-literate students in line with the requirements of the fifth industrial revolution (5IR). Our use of AI also places our students firmly in the 5IR human-machine collaboration mindset. We do this in several ways; for example, gamifying lessons, testing for critical analysis and integrating technology into each and every subject – even history.”
The school also has a strong focus on entrepreneurship education. This will aid students from all socio-economic backgrounds to think outside the box and nurture unconventional talents and skills, he added.
Discussing challenges facing local schools − both in the private and public sectors − Fuchs said the biggest challenge is pupils leaving school with a lack of appropriate skills with which to enter the job market.
“The challenge we have in SA’s education system is that oftentimes maths, for instance, is not being taught correctly. Often maths is being taught by an unqualified person, or there are sections that are not taught at all. Maths needs building blocks continuously, to maintain cognitive growth.
“So, what we find is that pupils coming to our school have massive gaps, where maths hasn’t been taught properly. The economy demands skilled and experienced work-seekers, which reduces the chances of unqualified or inexperienced young people finding jobs.”
The world’s economies are changing so fast, moving from labour-intensive to technologically-driven, but SA is currently teaching for a world that no longer exists, he commented.
“Our youth unemployment rate must propel all of us to look critically at how we equip the young people of South Africa with skills that will land them jobs and a steady income. Failure to do so is not an option.”
