CambriLearn Ignites Transparency War in Online Education

Johannesburg, Gauteng – January 05, 2026 – A major player in the online education space has drawn a line in the sand, challenging an industry-wide practice of selective marketing by publicly disclosing its complete, unvarnished review data. CambriLearn, an international online school with students in over 100 countries, announced it has become the only online school in South Africa to maintain ratings of 4.68 stars or higher across all four major independent review platforms, and is now calling on its competitors to follow suit.

The institution has published a comprehensive transparency page detailing its performance on Google (4.7 stars), Trustpilot (4.6 stars), HelloPeter (4.67 stars), and Facebook (94% recommend), setting a precedent in a market where parental trust is the ultimate currency. This move directly confronts the growing concern among parents about the authenticity of marketing claims and the difficulty of vetting online education providers.

The Transparency Challenge

At the heart of CambriLearn's initiative is a direct challenge to what it describes as a culture of opaque reputation management. The school's leadership points to a common tactic where competitors highlight stellar performance on one review platform while conveniently being absent, poorly rated, or having disabled reviews on others.

“Every online school in South Africa claims to be the best. But when you actually check the platforms parents use to verify those claims, the picture changes dramatically,” said Ryan Swartzberg, CEO of CambriLearn, in the press release. “Some schools have disabled their Google reviews. Others have replaced their Facebook pages. We’re the only school that shows up strong everywhere, because we have nothing to hide.”

This assertion speaks to a wider trend in online business where companies curate their public image by directing customers to favorable platforms. CambriLearn's call to action urges the sector to adopt multi-platform transparency as a new industry standard. The proposed framework includes publishing unfiltered ratings from Google, Trustpilot, HelloPeter, and Facebook; keeping reviews enabled across all platforms; and maintaining long-standing social media pages rather than deleting and restarting them to erase negative history.

“Parents are smart. They know how to check Google reviews. They know how to look at Facebook,” Swartzberg stated. “When a school directs you to one specific platform, and you can’t find them anywhere else, that tells you something. Genuine satisfaction doesn’t hide. It shows up everywhere.”

Verifying the Claims: A Look at the Numbers

In an environment where marketing can often outpace substance, consistent, verifiable data offers a clearer picture. Independent verification confirms CambriLearn’s high marks across the board. Its 4.7-star rating on Google, 4.6 on Trustpilot, 4.67 on HelloPeter, and 94% recommendation rate on Facebook paint a picture of widespread customer satisfaction. This consistency is significant because each platform attracts a slightly different user base and review style, suggesting the positive experience is not an isolated phenomenon.

The school's public disclosure of this data empowers parents to move beyond polished testimonials and engage with a full spectrum of feedback. This level of openness is a stark contrast to the challenges many parents face when researching online schools. Research into the online education market reveals a fragmented landscape of reviews, making direct, apples-to-apples comparisons difficult. Some providers lack a significant presence on globally recognized platforms like Trustpilot or have a minimal number of Google reviews, making it hard to gauge authentic, long-term satisfaction.

By demanding that competitors show their full hand, the provider is effectively using its own positive reputation to advocate for consumer protection. The move pressures other schools to either prove their claims of excellence with comprehensive data or risk appearing as if they have something to conceal.

Beyond Ratings: The Flexibility Factor

While transparency in ratings is the headline-grabber, CambriLearn's strategy is underpinned by a robust and uniquely flexible academic offering. The school is one of the very few providers globally that houses three distinct major curricula under a single virtual roof: the South African CAPS curriculum (offered through both major independent examining bodies, IEB and SACAI), the full British curriculum up to A Levels (via Pearson Edexcel), and the American K-12 curriculum.

This curricular breadth is a powerful differentiator in a market where most rivals specialize in a single educational pathway. For families, this translates into unprecedented stability and choice.

“Families move. Circumstances change. A child who starts in CAPS might need to switch to an international pathway,” Swartzberg explained. “We’re the only school where that’s possible without changing providers. That flexibility, combined with genuine transparency, is what parents actually need.”

This multi-curriculum model caters to a diverse student body, from South African families seeking an alternative to brick-and-mortar schools to expatriate and international families requiring a globally recognized education. The ability to switch between, for instance, the IEB-aligned CAPS track and the Pearson Edexcel A Levels provides a seamless educational journey for students whose future university or career plans may evolve.

A New Benchmark for Accountability

CambriLearn’s dual focus on verifiable satisfaction and curricular flexibility appears to be a calculated move to redefine what it means to be a "leading" online school. The institution's extensive list of accreditations further solidifies its position. It holds accreditation from COGNIA, a massive global non-profit accreditor, as well as Pearson Edexcel for its British curriculum. Furthermore, its approval from the NCAA makes it a viable option for student-athletes aiming for US university scholarships, while its registration with both SACAI and the IEB ensures its local qualifications are rigorously quality-assured and nationally recognized.

This web of local and international validation lends weight to its call for transparency. An institution with this level of external oversight is inherently more accountable and, arguably, has less to fear from public scrutiny. By tying its strong, multi-platform ratings to its comprehensive accreditations and flexible curriculum, CambriLearn is building a powerful narrative: that true quality is holistic and stands up to inspection from all angles.

The challenge has been issued, and it places the onus squarely on other online education providers. In the coming months, parents will be watching to see which schools rise to meet this new standard of openness and which continue to rely on curated marketing, potentially reshaping the competitive dynamics of the entire online learning sector in South Africa and beyond.