The Department of Higher Education and Training has called on prospective students to exercise caution when choosing to register at colleges in South Africa. This as thousands of individuals are expected to apply for enrolment in academic courses in 2023.
Grade 12 are advised to do their due diligence and research on their institutions of choice after matric. This as some colleges may claim to offer qualifications, but have not taken steps to register with the department of higher education.
Bogus Colleges
Director of Registrations at the Department of Higher Education Dr Shaheeda Essack says while the issue of “bogus colleges” is not as bad as it used to be, students must still be vigilant when enrolling in an academic programme.
Many of these colleges get closed down by the department officials. However, the college operators may make efforts to reopen in different geographical areas.
To ensure they are registering at regretted institutions, the department compiled a list of accredited Universities and Colleges that are registered in South Africa.
The best advice we can give them is ask them to verify with the department by consulting the registers which are on the website
Individuals can also determine if a college or training centre is registered with the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO).
Essack admits that work still needs to be done concerning the online colleges providing students with illegal qualifications. Some colleges do this by offering students online courses with so-called international qualifications.
The problem is there, it is not as bad as it used to be because the awareness is so great but it is there and as our role in regulating the sector we are always on the lookout
Individuals can also speak to students who have attended a particular college in the past and evaluate the infrastructure. This is important, as most registered colleges will have appropriate infrastructure for delivering educational content.
Students can also check whether the courses they are registering for are accredited.
