BR
Bontle R
1 reviews | Active since Mar 2016
17 Oct 2025, 11:58
I’m a concerned parent regarding my daughter’s online high school experience. - AI
I’m quite unsettled by the increasing reliance on AI at the school, particularly when it comes to the “support coach” function.
It has become extremely difficult to reach an actual teacher or speak to a real person. The phone lines are limited to admissions only, and classes have over 200 students online at the same time. One of the main reasons I moved my daughter to an online school was so she could receive more personalized attention than she was getting in a public school; but now, the situation feels ten times worse.
Although she’s performing very well academically, whenever she needs help or has a question, she’s encouraged to interact with AI instead of a human teacher as too many students are asking assistance at the same time. It’s frustrating to have to go through bots before receiving any real assistance.
This setup wasn’t in place when we first enrolled earlier this year, but the recent “upgrade” has made the experience impersonal and ineffective. My daughter wants to stay and complete the next two years here, but as a parent, I’m genuinely questioning whether it’s worth it anymore.
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UCT Online High School's replyOfficial
17 Oct 2025, 15:49Dear Bontle,
We take your feedback very seriously, as the well-being and support of every learner are our highest priorities. Please refer to the email that we have sent you today to fully respond to your concerns personally.
We want to reassure you that the introduction of our AI-powered assistant, Msizi, has not replaced human interaction. Our Support Coaches and Subject Specialists remain core to our support ecosystem and are fully available for personalized, complex queries.
- Msizi was introduced to provide instant answers to common questions, particularly outside business hours (evenings and weekends), which many families find incredibly valuable for quick resolution.
- Msizi is the first point of contact, not the final one. If a query is complex, or the learner indicates they need further help, the request is immediately escalated to a human Support Coach.
- A learner simply needs to reply to the automated response stating the query wasn't resolved or type "I would like to speak to a human" to trigger this immediate handover.
Similarly, the AI Tutor for English is a supplementary tool for extra practice and clarity, working alongside our Subject Specialists who remain accessible via the Online Campus Discussion Forums for direct support.
We reviewed your daughter's recent support interactions. In both instances where she engaged with Msizi, the system registered that her initial query was resolved, and no follow-up was provided by the learner, despite Msizi sending a follow-up outreach to check if support was received. To ensure your daughter connects with a human Support Coach if needed in the future, we encourage her to use the key phrase "I would like to speak to a human" or simply indicate that the query wasn't resolved by Msizi. This action instantly triggers an escalation to our team for a personal follow-up.
We deeply value your family's experience and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. We hope this provides clarity regarding our support structure. We encourage you to book a Guardian Engagement call with your Support Coach next week. She is ready to assist you further and clarify any outstanding concerns you may have.
We deeply value your family's experience and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. We hope this provides clarity regarding our support structure. We encourage you to book a Guardian Engagement call with your Support Coach next week. She is ready to assist you further and clarify any outstanding concerns you may have.
Best Regards,
The UCT Online High School Team
UCT Online High School's reply17 Oct 2025, 15:49
Official
Dear Bontle,
We take your feedback very seriously, as the well-being and support of every learner are our highest priorities. Please refer to the email that we have sent you today to fully respond to your concerns personally.
We want to reassure you that the introduction of our AI-powered assistant, Msizi, has not replaced human interaction. Our Support Coaches and Subject Specialists remain core to our support ecosystem and are fully available for personalized, complex queries.
- Msizi was introduced to provide instant answers to common questions, particularly outside business hours (evenings and weekends), which many families find incredibly valuable for quick resolution.
- Msizi is the first point of contact, not the final one. If a query is complex, or the learner indicates they need further help, the request is immediately escalated to a human Support Coach.
- A learner simply needs to reply to the automated response stating the query wasn't resolved or type "I would like to speak to a human" to trigger this immediate handover.
Similarly, the AI Tutor for English is a supplementary tool for extra practice and clarity, working alongside our Subject Specialists who remain accessible via the Online Campus Discussion Forums for direct support.
We reviewed your daughter's recent support interactions. In both instances where she engaged with Msizi, the system registered that her initial query was resolved, and no follow-up was provided by the learner, despite Msizi sending a follow-up outreach to check if support was received. To ensure your daughter connects with a human Support Coach if needed in the future, we encourage her to use the key phrase "I would like to speak to a human" or simply indicate that the query wasn't resolved by Msizi. This action instantly triggers an escalation to our team for a personal follow-up.
We deeply value your family's experience and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. We hope this provides clarity regarding our support structure. We encourage you to book a Guardian Engagement call with your Support Coach next week. She is ready to assist you further and clarify any outstanding concerns you may have.
We deeply value your family's experience and appreciate you bringing these concerns to our attention. We hope this provides clarity regarding our support structure. We encourage you to book a Guardian Engagement call with your Support Coach next week. She is ready to assist you further and clarify any outstanding concerns you may have.
Best Regards,
The UCT Online High School Team