Meet Banele Lukhele

We’re delighted to announce that Banele Lukhele has been appointed as UCT Online High School’s Executive Head of School and Chief Academic Officer! Ms Lukhele will take over from Yandiswa Xhakaza who, after careful consideration, has decided to step down from the role of Director and Principal of UCT Online High School. 

Ms Lukhele is joined by Sipho Mpisane as Head of School for the CAPS curriculum and Tessa Venter as Head of School for International curricula. Together, Banele, Sipho and Tessa lead a team of Subject Specialists, Learning Facilitators and Support Coaches who will enable every learner to realise their full potential. Banele, Sipho and Tessa have a range and depth of experience that is particularly appropriate for our innovative approach to education. 

Ms Lukhele is an experienced and distinguished teacher with an Honours in Music, majoring in Composition, from the University of the Witwatersrand, a Diploma in Sound Engineering and a Masters in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment from Walden University in the United States, which she earned by studying online. 

As Director of Faculty at UCT Online High School, Ms Lukhele has played a pivotal role in onboarding our team of teaching and learning specialists, for which she is widely respected. Passionate about data and the potential of learning analytics for identifying and responding to the individual needs of our learners, Ms Lukhele has had a central role in designing and implementing the comprehensive suite of enhancements that are being implemented ahead of the 2023 school year. 

Redefining the former role of Principal as Executive Head of School, and combining this responsibility with the position of Chief Academic Officer will signal and strengthen our commitment to leadership through a culture of continual improvement in our service to our learners and their families.

In reflecting on her new role, Ms Lukhele says: “This is an exciting next step for me, as being a part of UCT Online High School has been pivotal in my growth as an innovative educator. My priorities in this role will be, firstly, reinforcing the application of data-driven teaching and learning through initiatives such as training and collaborative reflection; and secondly, driving community awareness. Many people may shy away from online learning because they do not fully understand this. I would like to spend time driving awareness of the work that we do and how it can make a positive impact in learners’ lives.” 

A passionate innovator, Ms Lukhele developed a unique approach to teaching maths and science using music and the creative arts, founding her own company to deliver her services. 

She recalls, “I started realising that there is an opportunity in education to create a new type of teaching and learning where parents have chosen to take their children out of the mainstream. So, I started exploring how to customise education. I would interview the learners and their families, look at their interests, where they want to go, and I'd look at the curriculum that they wanted to follow, and I'd map the entire curriculum based on their interests.”

2023 will be an exciting year for us at UCT Online High School. Key enhancements are being implemented that will provide more structure and opportunities for engagement by both learners and their guardians. 

We'll also be welcoming our first National Senior Certificate Grade 12 class, inaugurating our Adult Matric programme and launching our Cambridge International curriculum. Banele, Tessa and Sipho will be leading and coordinating every step of this journey for learners, guardians and staff. 

Online since 2022. Updating 2023...