UNPACKING AND DISCOVERING “HIGHER EDUCATION”

SECONDARY SCHOLARS SHOULD NOT FEEL INTIMIDATED BY HIGHER EDUCATION, WHICH SIMPLY REFERS TO POST-MATRIC EDUCATION.

T he transgression from secondary to higher or tertiary education embodies an array of educational fields and various levels of qualifications. Recognised qualifications can range between higher certificates, advanced national certificates, national diplomas, undergraduate degrees and scholars can go on to persue doctoral degrees dependant on the field of study. These higher education qualifications are graded between five to ten on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).

Higher or tertiary educational intstituations can either be private or public instituations. The primary difference being the price tag attached to gaining the qualification. Public instituations are those owned and funded by government. Whether you choose to study at a private or public institution, it’s important to choose an institution of the highest quality that is nationally and internationally recognised. Equally as important, is choosing an establishment that fits your specific needs.

There are thousands of private higher education institutions, many specialising in niche areas such as advertising, design and business. Private colleges play an important role in providing options to scholars. Society has certainly moved away from the traditional educational choices of medicine or law. Private instituations also make education accessible to most offering a wider range of courses, from short courses that last a few weeks, certificates, advanced certificates and diplomas.

For some time, this sector has been a paradise for fraudulent qualifications that hold no regonition. The Higher Education Act of 1997 and other subsequent amendments is the body in charge of quality assurance of programmes in higher education.

According to Dr Felicity Coughlan, Director of The Independent Institute of Education, before parting with your money, one should enusre the following: • Proof of registration - by law, all private institutions must be registered with the Department of Higher Education. A credible institution must be able to show a certificate to that effect, which details the campus, provider and qualifications • Proof of accreditation - all higher education qualifications need to be accredited by the Higher Education Quality Committee of the Council on Higher Education, if they are not accredited they will not appear on the certificate referred to above • The SAQA NQF identity numbers of the course you are interested in - all qualifications must be registered on the NQF by SAQA and students should ask for the SAQA NQF identity numbers

In contrast, state owned eduactional institutions have undergone restructuring inclusive of mergers in order to better utilise resources and to make them more efficient by sharing facilities and minimising duplication of courses. The new landscape allows three types of universities - your choice of institution will affect the type of qualification you will obtain. One can choose from: 1. Traditional universities: There are 11 of these and they offer degrees mainly – undergraduate or first degrees and postgraduate or higher degrees. These universities are at the centre of academic research. 2. Comprehensive universities: There are six of these and they were created through mergers between traditional universities and former technikons. They offer both academic and career-oriented studies, degrees and diplomas. 3. Universities of technology: These were formerly known as technikons and there are six of them. They were renamed universities of technology to follow the internationally recognised term for these institutions. They offer certificates, diplomas and degrees in technology.