Student relief as thousands of certificates processed

AFTER countrywide protests by students at technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges because of the non-issuing of certificates, parliament heard last week that progress had been made in resolving the backlog.

In January, students at the Eastern Cape’s Buffalo City, Lovedale and King Hintsa TVET colleges joined their counterparts from other colleges around the country when they took to the streets, demanding that the Department of Higher Education issue their certificates.

At the time, the SRC secretary at Buffalo City College, Cat Mangope-Moji, said a number of students had been held back in their studies, due to outstanding certificates. Last week, the portfolio committee on higher education and training welcomed the progress made by the department and its entities in resolving the backlog in issuing certificates in the college sector.

An education official said the department had been working tirelessly in collaboration with college management, the state information and technology authority (Sita) and quality assurer Umalusi in a massive mop-up project to clear outstanding certificates for TVET colleges going as far back as 2007.

Education spokesman Madikwe Mabotha said that since last year, the department had managed to process and release large volumes of pending National Certificate Vocational (NCV) certificates on a weekly basis to colleges.

By June 8, the department reported that it had administered and cleared more than 250 000 certificates.

“Students are advised to approach their colleges to verify the availability of their certificates and, if not available, to immediately lodge queries with college management,” Mabotha said.