When you picture a “school,” chances are you imagine classrooms with desks, teachers at the front, and bells marking the change of lessons. But for hundreds of families at Crimson Global Academy (CGA), that definition has changed completely completely.

We recently hosted a panel with three parents, Michael de Bruyn from Germany, and Glaceia Henderson, and Tobias Wagner, from South Africa.

All of them have chosen CGA for their children and each with differences reasons of their own, but together, they share why they believe online learning is not only a valid option, but in many cases, a better one for families.

Education That Moves With You

Michael's daughter Minay joined CGA while their family was in the process of relocating internationally.

We’re busy immigrating and my daughter was in a public school. So, you know, we knew we had to go look at different curriculums, and CGA ended up being our choice.

CGA offered an exceptional supportive learning experience, which is very reliable. It’s got a very easy-to-navigate platform. One of the greatest benefits for us is the flexibility, which makes travelling and unexpected trips possible — all while our daughter’s receiving a great education.”

That flexibility has had a profound effect on how Michael’s daughter, Minay, is able to learn. She’s part of CGA’s Da Vinci programme, a one-on-one learning pathway that allows students to design their own schedules around their goals.

The quality of education on the Da Vinci side, which Minay is doing… the programme is offering a wide range of choices, including AP subjects, and it makes study very enjoyable for her. It allows her to focus on subjects that’s more beneficial to her for a future career — because she wants to become a veterinarian.

Minay is currently studying CGA's US curriculum and excelling in all her subjects. With the Da Vinci programme she's also found more time to ride horses and compete as an equestrian.

Minay is more relaxed and gets more work done — and a lot more free time to do the things she loves.”

Rediscovering A Love Of Learning

Glaceia was also looking for something different. Her son Arthur had been in a traditional Waldorf school, but the large class sizes and lack of structure were beginning to take a toll.

He was in a class of 36 kids. Sometimes it was just so loud that he couldn’t hear anything. He kind of disappeared into the background.

When he joined CGA, the change was immediate. With smaller class sizes and an emphasis on student engagement, Arthur found himself motivated again — not because he had to be, but because he wanted to be.

He became extremely motivated to learn again. When he first started school, he loved learning — and that came back. It was heartwarming.

More than just motivation, Glaceia noticed a shift in the way Arthur was processing what he learned. At CGA, subjects aren’t taught in isolation. They’re woven together, with clear connections to the real world.

Everything he learns connects to the outside world. He’s doing statistics with newspapers, looking at commerce… it all relates to what he wants to do when he grows up. That’s given him so much hope and inspiration, which we saw waning for a little while.

“It’s a Leap of Faith”

Let’s be honest here — any major decision for one’s child, especially a change of schools, is a leap of faith decision, right? There’s so many questions. What’s the classroom going to be like? What’s the teacher like?

“CGA is extremely easy to leap into — because it’s so flexible, and because the system, the school, adapts so well to your child. [Your child] lands in a sort of a jumping castle, if you will.”

Parents often come to CGA with questions about screen time, structure, or how students stay socially connected. And that’s completely fair. As with anything unfamiliar, it takes time to understand how it works and what it offers. However, they stay because of what they discover. 

CGA offers a focused, motivating, academically rich experience that meets students where they are and helps them go further. Whether it’s providing flexibility for a student who competes at an international level, reigniting a passion for learning, or simply offering a quieter, more personalised classroom, CGA creates space for students to thrive.

If you’re curious about whether online learning could work for your family, we invite you to speak with our Academic advisors.