Higher education and training deputy minister Mimmy Gondwe led a blitz in East London on Monday targeting unregistered and non-compliant private colleges.
The crackdown, which is part of a broader national campaign, targeted four institutions.
Three were reportedly operating with expired registration certificates and one did not have accreditation at all.
The noncompliance raises concerns about the legitimacy of the qualifications offered by these institutions, but at the heart of it are the students.
They have not only invested money, but also time in pursuing a certificate, diploma or degree which could now be called into question.
The Dispatch spoke with three students at a college in Selborne, which had been flagged for its “concerning building structure”, who had just written a test for their personal trainer certificates.
The course ran for eight months and 30 students were enrolled at the college, they said.
Unable to secure a spot at their higher learning institutions of choice, the three said they had no choice but to consider other options to obtain qualifications.
Many young people find themselves in a similar predicament; they have the drive to further their education, but encounter obstacles along the way.
In recent years, hundreds of thousands of grade 12 pupils pass their finals with bachelor passes.
However, there are caps on enrolment at universities, which means many must have a plan B or C in place.
Then there is the issue of finances.
Tuition and boarding are expensive and the National Student Financial Aid Scheme, which is meant to open the doors of learning, is marred by chaos and dysfunction.
Those who eventually graduate then have to contend with rising youth unemployment.
The non-compliance raises concerns about the legitimacy of the qualifications offered by these institutions, but at the heart of it are the students
Stats SA, in its South Africa’s Youth in the Labour Market: A Decade in Review, notes the unemployment rate among university graduates at 23.9% and 37.3% for those who obtain vocational or technical training.
The challenges facing young people in their pursuit of an education are immense.
Non-compliant and bogus higher learning institutions undermine the entire education system.
Parents and prospective students have to be vigilant before enrolling at any institution of higher learning.
Do your homework and check their accreditation.
The blitz this week shines the spotlight on these unregistered and non-compliant private colleges, but it will mean nothing if there is no accountability and consequences for those who flout the rules and regulations.
More importantly, there also has to be support for those students who may now find the rug pulled out from under them.\
Daily Dispatch
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