SAQA: registration and accreditation of private providers offering qulaification
Joint Communique 1 of 2012: Interim Guidelines on the registration and accreditation of private providers offering qulaifications and part qualifications in the Trade and Occupation sector
[b]Download the full policy from the SAQA website here.[/b]
http://saqa.org.za/docs/pol/2012/private_prov_registration.pdf
higher education
& training
Department:
Higher Education and Training
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING (DHET) SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY (SAQA) QUALITY COUNCIL FOR TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS (QCTO)
COUNCIL ON QUALITY ASSURANCE IN GENERAL AND FURTHER EDUCATION AND
TRAINING (UMALUSI)
COUNCIL ON HIGHER EDUCATION (CHE)
Joint Communique 1of 2012
INTERIM GUIDELINES ON THE REGISTRATION AND ACCREDITATION OF PRIVATE PROVIDERS OFFERING QUALIFICATIONS AND PART-QUALIFICATIONS IN THE TRADE AND OCCUPATIONAL SECTOR
AUGUST 2012
SAQA
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INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND
The legal situation relating to the registration of independent education institutions, including private skills providers, is as follows.
The NQF and sub-frameworks
The National Qualifications Framework Act, 2008 (Act 67 of 2008) (NQFA) provides for the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) which comprises three sub frameworks, each of which is quality assured by a Quality Council (QC):
- The Occupational Qualifications Framework (OQF), quality assured by the
Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO);
- The General and Further Education and Training sub-framework, quality assured by Umalusi; and
- The Higher Education sub-framework, quality assured by the Higher Education Quality Comm.ittee (HEQC) of the Council on Higher Education (CHE)
SAQA is placing all qualifications or part-qualifications currently on the NQF on the appropriate sub-framework. Such placement will determine which QC is responsible for the quality assurance of each qualification or part-qualification. Any uncertainty about such matters will be resolved by SAQA.
Registration of independent educational institutions and private skills providers
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act 108 of 1996) requires that an independent educational institution must be registered with the state (see Section
29(3)(b)). “Education” as used in Section 29 includes “training”.
As a result of this provision, the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act 101 of 1997) (HEA) and the Further Education and Training Colleges Act, 2006 (Act 16 of 2006) (FETCA) require private higher education institutions and FET colleges respectively to register with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET).
The Skills Development Act, 1998 (Act 97 of 1998) (SDA) in its current form, does not make provision for the registration, as contemplated in section 29 of the Constitution, of private skills development (SD) providers who offer qualifications or part-qualifications on the OOF. Such providers are at present only required by the SDA to be accredited by the OCTO and to seek accreditation for their qualifications and part-qualifications from the QCTO (or a suitable body to whom the OCTO has delegated the quality assurance function). Only the QCTO has the authority to quality assure SD providers who offer qualifications or part-qualifications on the OOF. No other QC has such authority.
Nevertheless, some SD providers offering qualifications or part-qualifications on the OOF have applied for accreditation by Umalusi or the CHE in order to be registered by DHET. This is not currently required by law and the practice will be discontinued until the law is changed.
The SDA was managed under the authority of the Minister of Labour until 2009 when it was transferred to the portfolio of the Minister of Higher Education and Training. As part of the policy development process for the South African post school system and to comply with section 29 of the Constitution the SDA is being reviewed. In due course it will be amended in order to require SD providers to register with the DHET. As indicated above, at present there is no such requirement.
INTERIM GUIDELINES ON THE REGISTRATION AND ACCREDITATION OF PRIVATE PROVIDERS OFFERING QUALIFICATIONS AND PART QUALIFICATIONSIN THE TRADE AND OCCUPATIONAL SECTOR
To clarify the situation and ensure consistency in the application of the relevant laws, the following guidelines will apply to private SD providers that offer qualifications or part-qualifications on the OOF. The guidelines will apply from the date of issue of this communique and will remain in operation until replaced by long-term arrangements.
- Private SO providers who are not yet registered with the DHET and who wish to offer only OQF qualifications and part-qualifications on Levels 1 -10 are currently not required to register with the DHET. They must apply to the OCTO or the delegated body for accreditation to offer these qualifications or part-qualifications as an accredited SD provider.
- Private SO providers who are already registered with the OHET for OQF qualifications or part-qualifications may continue with their current offerings, but do not need to apply for re-registration with the DHET when their registration period ends.
- Private SO providers who are currently registered with the DHET and wish to extend their scope of provision to offer additional qualifications or part qualifications that are registered on the OQF need only to apply for accreditation with the QCTO or the delegated body.
It remains a requirement that all private SO providers offering full qualifications or part-qualifications on the OQF in terms of the SDA must be accredited by the QCTO or its delegated quality assurer, and such qualification or part-qualification must be registered by SAQA on the OQF.
These guidelines do not apply to the following:
- Independent education institutions or private providers that offer qualifications or part-qualifications on the other two NQF sub-frameworks, namely the Higher Education Qualifications Framework (HEQF) Levels 5 – 10 and the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Framework (GFETQF) Levels 1 – 4. Such private providers or institutions must register with the DHET after accreditation by the HEQC or Umalusi respectively; and
- Independent schools, which must be registered as provided in the South
African Schools Act, 1996 (Act 84 of 1996) or relevant provincial laws.
LONG TERM ARRANGEMENTS FOR ACCREDITATION AND REGISTRATION
These guidelines will be reviewed by the DHET, SAQA, the QCTO, Umalusi and the CHE during 2012-2013 and a long-term solution will be implemented as from a date to be announced.
Mr Gwebinkundla Qonde
Director-General: D ET
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Chief Executive Officer: QCTO
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Dr Mafu Rakometsi
Mr Ahmed Essop
Chief Executive Officer: CHE
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Mr Joe Samuels
Chief Executive Officer: SAQA Date: …?.-P.!…… :?!..-:-:……………….
