Recognising the increasing demand among young people in our community to study beyond our borders after matric, Cape Town Torah High (CTTH) has developed a curriculum and an approach to benchmarking that provides a Cape Town matriculant with all the elements needed to be accepted by a certified university anywhere in the world.
The school’s academic programme is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), an internationally recognised accrediting association based in the United States. In addition, CTTH is registered with the Independent Schools Association of South Africa and the South African Department of Basic Education.
According to Daniella Conibear, the Principal of the school, “CTTH is an international school and, as such, we source our curriculum from a variety of course providers, most notably, the University of Nebraska High School in the United States of America. Through this, students at our school are able to select from a wide range of courses that reflect their own interests and goals for the future. Taking into account the quality of the courses selected and the grades achieved for the courses, the outcome for many students is that they can be accepted into a tertiary institution in the USA, Europe, Israel, and other countries, too.”
While the matric diploma that a student achieves at CTTH provides them with an internationally- accredited qualification, it is also suitable for admission to a South African university. As Daniella explains, “This means that the student has many options in terms of further studies: they are not limited to selecting a South African institution only.”
Students study at their own pace, using a mix of online and face-to-face learning. The courses are modular based, allowing a student to complete courses within semesters rather than full years. The marks achieved during the assessments count towards the student’s Grade Point Average (GPA), which reflects the accumulated learning of the student over a number of grades. “The GPA score is a crucial element in the university application process,” Daniella explains.
In addition, CTTH provides for assessment for university readiness both in South Africa (the National Benchmarking Test (NBT)) and internationally (the Scholastic Assessment Test or SAT, as it is more commonly known). SAT assessments are done at CTTH at both Grade 11 and 12 levels, and the school hosts the NBT process annually, too.
“We understand that the process can be quite intimidating for both students and parents, and so we provide ongoing support regarding the selection of courses, grades required, and taking the various benchmarking tests,” Daniella adds.
With the various elements in place, it’s quite possible for a South African matriculant to study anywhere they choose to. In fact, CTTH has past students who’ve been accepted to study at South African tertiary institutions such as UCT, the University of Stellenbosch, Vega, AFDA, Friends of Design; at Yeshiva University in New York; and at Israel’s private university IDC, as well as at the Technion in Israel.
Cape Town Torah High www.cttorahhigh.org
• Published in the April 2024 issue – Click here to start reading.
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