Dear Homeschoolers and other friends in education

We homeschoolers are constantly asked: "How will your children get a matric?" as if it's an insurmountable problem we all face.

Well, it isn't. There are a couple of options.

I am pleased to offer to your children the world class online GED® preparation courses powered by Essential Education’s GED Academy™ 

The GED® is A Grade 12 Solution for Homeschoolers

The GED® credential is an American high school equivalent recognised in South Africa by SAQA as being comparable to the South African National Senior Certificate (Matric) or an NQF Level 4 qualification.

Students with a GED® at College Ready Level (together with a letter of admission from an accredited US University) qualify for a certificate of foreign conditional exemption from Universities SA (formally HESA).

Candidates must be age 16 or older to write the GED® tests.

In a nutshell, a GED™ credential is a Grade 12 equivalent that saves you time, saves you money and gives you the freedom to pursue the things you love, while opening the doors of opportunity for the next step in your child’s education.


Less Stress, More Control

Let’s face it, writing tests and exams can be stressful. Not with Essential Education’s GED Academy™!



Essential Education’s GED Academy™ provides Classes Tailored to Meet Your Student's Needs

The online GED Academy™ classes offer candidates a personalised online learning experience with a customised plan to prepare each one for writing the GED® tests quickly and easily.

After an initial assessment a unique programme is presented for the student to follow to make sure that she master the skills she still needs in order to pass the test in each subject. No wasting time on topics she already understands!

For example, in maths, the programme will show your child that he has mastered fractions, but he needs to work on exponents and graphs before he will be ready to ace the GED® maths test!


To make preparing for the GED®, easy, convenient and as stress-free as possible, Essential Education’s GED Academy™ provides you with online lessons, practice tests and progress reports.

The practice tests will give candidates scores and they will be used to assess when your children are ready to book their tests. By following a personalised programme to help your candidates brush up on the skills they need and by seeing the measure of their progress, they will grow in confidence – an essential trait for success!


Depending on how many hours your child studies per day, s/he could have the GED® credential in a matter of weeks, or maybe months. You will know when they are ready to write and pass the tests as the GED Academy™ progress reports will show you!

With the GED®, there is no panic or cramming before an exam date. You book and write each test on any available date, when your student is ready, when it suits you.

The more time your students are able to devote to your GED Academy™ lessons and test preparation, the quicker they can write the tests. However, the course is self-paced - no pressure.

The 2014 GED® tests four subjects and the tests can be written in SA from 1 May 2017 onwards:

1. Science

2. Mathematical Reasoning

3. Social Studies

4. Reasoning Through Language Arts



Essential Education’s GED Academy™ - Same Product, Different Vendors

To clarify any confusion, Essential Education’s GED Academy™ is not an (online) institution, but an online learning programme. There are also others who are marketing the GED Academy™ product in South Africa and internationally. Our businesses are not necessarily associated with each other.

Just like you can buy a year’s contract to use your mobile network from various retail stores and cellphone shops, similarly, you can buy a year’s access to the GED Academy™ from a number of independent vendors. Same product, different vendors.

Previously, I referred homeschoolers to another vendor, now I can offer Essential Education’s GED Academy™ online classes to you directly!


For prices and more information about the GED® as a Grade 12 solution, check out my brand new website at onlineGED.co.za

I have also created a support group on Facebook called Online GED - you can find it here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/onlineGED/

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at shirleyerwee@gmail.com

Kind regards

Shirley