AS the New Year begins, there is excitement among school leavers who will be entering tertiary institutions for the very first time.

A dangerous shadow lurks amid the excitement of the new academic year, however, because of the rise of fly-by-night institutions.

Also read: DUT at the forefront of higher education

Umalusi earlier this year cautioned the public to be wary of bogus tertiary institutions and urged them to verify the credentials of any institution before registering.

According to the Department of Higher Education and Training, it is crucial to check that the institution complies with the minimum requirements in terms of resources and standards required to offer a particular qualification.

How to check if the institution is registered:

Ensure that:

• You fully understand the accreditation status of the institution offering the qualification and
• You fully understand the status of the qualification or programme.

Umalusi (the Council for Quality Assurance in General and Further Education and Training) is an official body that accredits private providers who offer particular qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) at levels 1-4.

Umalusi accredits:

• Private FET colleges
• Independent schools
• Private adult education and training providers

To ensure that you enrol with a credible provider:

• Make sure that the institution is registered by the appropriate Department of Education and
• Secondly, it is accredited by Umalusi or another quality council or body such as a Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA)

Any tertiary institution, whether public or private, must register with the Department of Higher Education and Training. The registration gives the institution the legal authority to offer training.

Also read: Tackling the University Dropout Crisis

The public can also check with the South African Qualifications Authority (Saqa) to verify if the qualification obtained in South Africa is valid.

In order to find out if an institution is registered, you can click here or contact the Department of Higher Education and Training helpline on 0800 87 2222 and ask them if your institution of choice is registered.

To learn more about career development services click here.

In a media statement issued earlier this year Umalusi said that, between October and December 2023, police arrested 11 suspects in connection with buying and selling of fake certificates.

According to the statement, the first two suspects were arrested in Burgersfort in Limpopo on October 27, one suspect was arrested in Pretoria in November, the next three were arrested on November 20. The last five were nabbed in Limpopo on December 13, 2023.

The public is urged to verify if an independent school or a private college is accredited by Umalusi by visiting the Umalusi website (www.umalusi.org.za) and clicking on the “Accredited Institutions” icon.

If an institution is accredited by Umalusi, it should at least have the following details:

• Name
• Accreditation number
• Period of accreditation (check whether the accreditation dates are still valid)
• Address
• Contact details
• Email address
• Owner or principal
• Information on accredited grades or subjects on offer.

Should you discover that an institution is operating illegally, advise the relevant education department of the unregistered institution. In addition, send an email to Umalusi (accreditation@umalusi.org.za) to report the institution.

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