Dream School SA is a South African docu-reality television series based on a format entitled Dream School in which 15 apathetic teenagers are enrolled in a "dream school" where celebrity teachers attempt to rekindle their love for learning.
What happens when you take 15 youths that have "dropped out" of school and give them a second chance? And what happens if we create a "dream school", with amazing celebrity teachers willing to share their knowledge and passion, and see if these learners can rediscover education in a whole new way?
The reality series Dream School SA, based on the highly successful "Jamie Oliver's Dream School" in the UK, is a South African first and it aims to rekindle a generation's love for learning.
Running for 13 weeks, Dream School SA takes the format of a docu-reality show and tries to answer one question: can we re-engage the unengaged?
Fifteen learners who have dropped out, or who are in danger of dropping out, come together for a two-week period and spend their time with celebrity teachers and mentors, opening a door for them to have another chance to complete their high school education.
Covering all school subjects, Dream School SA focuses as much on the learner's emotional well-being as on their academic education, with the daily involvement of a psychologist and also including subjects such as dance, cooking, and life skills.
The 15 learners that form the Dream School SA cast were chosen from across South Africa and from different walks of life. They had to be between 15 and 19 years old and the focus was on finding learners that showed resilience, were intelligent, but had lost the spark for education or were in the process of failing.
All participating learners were selected through an audition process in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. Selections were based on guidelines as supplied by Freemantle and after intensive interviewing and assessment, to ensure they would be the right fit.
Dream School SA is based on a format entitled Dream School devised by Fresh One Productions Ltd, licensed by FremantleMedia and produced locally by Little Leo Films (Season 1) and Urban Brew Studios (Season 2).
Directed by Paul Yule, the series producer is Markus Vernon Davies.
Broadcast Notes
The first season originally aired on M-Net and Mzansi Magic from 13 October, 2013 to 5 January, 2014, on Sundays at 17h00. It later aired on SABC2, who took over the rights to the show and commissioned a second season, which aired in 2015.