Oprah Winfrey's School for Girls in South Africa: Why it Matters

We all know that South Africa needs more jobs and less unemployment, but what if we doubled the amount of jobs available and halved the amount of people looking for work? That’s the promise of a new kind of school that Oprah Winfrey’s foundation is opening in South Africa. It’s an all-girls school that does away with grades and homework in favor of hands-on learning. Students are also not sorted into classes according to age or ability, but are encouraged to work together to solve problems and support each other instead. “What would you do if you had an idea every day?” That’s the underlying philosophy of The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, which will begin accepting students in September.

Why does it matter?

Many people are excited to see how The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls will impact education in South Africa. Many experts and leaders believe that South Africa’s education system is desperately in need of a makeover. South Africa’s public school system was ranked 176th out of 187 countries in a recent study, and only 30.6% of Grade 12 students were found to be eligible to sit for the final national examinations. Even worse, just 49.6% of those students actually took the exams.

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls is one of three new schools the Oprah Winfrey Foundation will open in South Africa this year. The others are the Mathews Phumelele Nkomo International School and the Susan Okerwane Global Academy, both of which are high schools. The foundation hopes to open another six new schools by 2020. The approach to education the foundation is promoting through these new schools is “Roots and Wings” education, which was developed by Winfrey’s Harpo Foundation. The foundation’s website describes Roots and Wings as “a media-led, project-based learning environment.”

How to learn when there’s no teacher in sight

Many of the ideas and concepts taught in traditional schools are focused onrote learning, which is defined as “ absorbing information by rote and then retaining it.” This method of learning is effective and efficient, but it’s not very exciting. Many experts believe that to truly educate a student, you need to connect with her on an emotional level as well. When a student learns by doing, she’s more likely to retain what she’s learned. Students in the new South African schools are not classified according to age or ability, but are encouraged to work together to solve problems and support each other instead.

The school will offer a media-led education

The approach to education the foundation is promoting through these new schools is “Roots and Wings” education, which was developed by Winfrey’s Harpo Foundation. The foundation’s website describes Roots and Wings as “a media-led, project-based learning environment.” This is in line with what many American public schools are doing as well, though they might not always recognize it. Most public schools now have access to satellite television and the internet through fiber optic cables, which means that many students are being exposed to a wealth of new knowledge and ideas that their older counterparts might not have seen.

Students will learn the value of teamwork

A key tenet of Roots and Wings education is that students should learn to work together. This is important in almost every area of life, but especially in times of crisis. Many experts believe that the high rate of unemployment in South Africa is a national crisis, and the new schools will help address this by encouraging students to learn to work together.

A final push for South Africa’s economy

More than two decades after the end of apartheid, South Africa’s economy remains incredibly unequal. The government has promised to bring the top 1% income share down to 25% by 2021, but that goal seems far off. In the meantime, the new schools will encourage students to think beyond the boundaries of their own communities by learning the value of teamwork. This could help spark an entrepreneurship spirit that could help grow local businesses and create jobs in the long run.

Wrapping up: Oprah’s school is a game-changer, so let’s hope it has a big impact.

Oprah’s school is a game-changer, so let’s hope it has a big impact. The idea is to combine a modern education with the joy of discovery that comes from doing hands-on projects. The school will incorporate elements of the Roots and Wings model, which was developed by the Harpo Foundation, and will be spearheaded by the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. If successful, this could be a model for other under-served communities around the world.

Bottom line

The new Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa is a game-changer, so let’s hope it has a big impact. If successful, this could be a model for other under-served communities around the world.