A Senior Certificate provides individuals over the age of 21 years-old who previously obtained a Grade 9 certificate with the opportunity to obtain a matric equivalent qualification under the National Qualifications Framework (NQF).
The National Senior Certificate for Adults (NASCA) is envisaged as the replacement of the senior certificate once it is fully implemented. The first rollout of NASCA was set to begin in June 2022 and the first exams were written in June 2023.
Quality assurance body Umalusi has raised concerns about the implementation of the Department of Higher Education and Training’s (DHET) plan. This as the body believes it is fraught with serious challenges which could hinder the practical implantation of the programme.
No new money has been provided for the implementation of the NASCA. It is believed that the department would require R287.3 million for its implementation for 10 000 students.
The impact of the lack of funding meant the department could not implement the programme in the second half of the year.
The department said that they did not start the process of advocacy for new students or enrolments, so no students will be disadvantaged by the department's inability to carry on with the programme.
The DHET added, “The Senior Certificate is still in place and will continue as normal. There is no negative impact on any student in terms of the delay of the implementation of the NASCA if the Senior Certificate still exists.”
“The biggest challenge is funding for the implementation of the NASCA. The second challenge is that supply chain processes have given us challenges because using EU funding, one has to advertise three times for procurement. Therefore, the nature of the proposals that DHET gets does not meet the requirements at times of the development work required for NASCA,” explained the department.
