Steer clear of fly-by-night colleges
2014 is here and with it comes the usual start-of-the-year scramble of people trying to secure their spaces at colleges and tertiary institutions. Education expert Dr Felicity Coughlan, director of the Independent Institute of Education, advises prospective students - including employees looking to register for part-time studies - that they must carefully scrutinise institutions before signing up.
“Thousands of people are being turned away at universities because of space constraints. It is encouraging to see so many prospective students including private higher and further education institutions as they consider alternatives. It’s therefore regrettable that there are still some unscrupulous people exploiting people’s difficult situations for fraudulent and selfish financial gain,” said Coughlan.
Private institutions are required to adhere to the same rigorous quality assurance processes as state universities - meaning that if you register at the right private institution, you’re able to gain a qualification of equal standing and quality.
Most private institutions in South Africa are registered and accredited but it is a pity that the actions of some taint the whole sector.
Students unfortunately don’t seem to realise how easy it is to check the credentials of private institutions. As a result, they deny themselves the protection of being sure about the status of the institution - and therefore the qualification - they are choosing.
“All the key information about the registration of an institution is available in the Register of Private Higher Education Institutions kept by the Department of Higher Education and Training, and the information is also readily available from reputable institutions,” added Coughlan.
Coughlan says that if an institution can’t give you three vital pieces of information, then it’s a good sign that you should run for the hills…
“Students eager to sign up when spaces at tertiary institutions are scarce may be tempted to forego this little bit of additional hassle. But failing to make the effort makes you enormously vulnerable to scamsters,” concludes Coughlan.
