Finished matric? Now don’t fall prey to dodgy colleges
WITH South Africa’s matric pass rate at an historical high, thousands of pupils are in the unexpectedly happy position of having received a Bachelor’s pass, and therefore, qualifying for further study.
Those who didn’t make provision for this eventuality may now find themselves in a situation where they no longer need to settle for their Plan B, but can in fact go for Plan A – realising their dreams of pursuing a degree – but with no place at university yet.
An education expert has warned, however, matriculants to take extra care to ensure they are signing up for the right qualification, for the right reason, at the right institution, and not fall prey to unscrupulous providers just because they feel pressured to sign up for anything because of time constraints.
“Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande has warned prospective students not to fall for bogus colleges, which can cost precious time and money with no return at the end, but to ensure that they sign up at a registered and accredited institution,” said Peter Kriel, general manager at The Independent Institute of Education.
Ensuring that an institution and qualification is above board, by doing the relevant checks is crucial before one considers enrolling, he said.
“Unfortunately, many qualifications – even from respected universities – are not going to adequately prepare you for the world of work, and work of the future,” said Kriel.
He said although the clock was ticking now for those who still needed to apply to a higher education institution, due diligence must under no circumstances be discarded.
Verifying a qualification
South Africa has a register of all qualifications which is managed by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), and this register is referred to as the NQF.
Something can only be called a qualification
if: 1) It has a credit value of 120 as a minimum. 2) It is registered on the NQF with an NQF ID (sometimes called a SAQA ID) number.
The shortest possible qualification is, therefore, normally one year as it takes about a year of study to do 120 credits.
A degree is normally at least 360 credits and so on. Without these two being in place, what you are studying is considered a short course and not a qualification, so it cannot be called a diploma or degree. So, if a South African institution is offering you a diploma for three weeks of study, it is not legitimate and warning lights should start flashing.
Before enrolling, prospective students must look up their desired qualification and check its level and credit value, as well as information about what it covers, at http://regqs.saqa.org.za/
Verifying an institution
Prospective students can find a complete list of all registered private colleges and higher education institutions at: www.dhet.gov.za/SitePages/DocRegisters.aspx. |