This shows some oomph for SAQA. At one time, John Bear was showing some reservation about its significance: http://www.degreeinfo.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=934&highlight=saqa I don't know what opinion he has now.
SAQA has no teeth. Accreditation of universities (and other higher ed institutions) is now the responsibility of HEQC.
From your link, this: "The Council on Higher Education (CHE) will launch its Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) on 8 May 2001. The HEQC is the body through which the CHE will carry out its quality assurance responsibilities in higher education. "The CHE has been accredited by the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) to be the Education and Training Quality Assuring Body (ETQA) for the higher education band of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF)." SAQA is the one giving the teeth to CHE/HEQC.
Yes, OK. We shall have to wait to see how sharp those teeth will become. The was very little quality assurance when SAQA itself had the sole responsibility for registering higher ed institutions.
Plans Afoot to Isolate Bogus Institutions Education minister Kader Asmal says a legislative framework is the only way to put an end to the rife exploitation of unsuspecting students by bogus private higher education institutions. ... Many unsuspecting students have been lured into registering with such institutions, which offer bogus qualifications at considerable costs.
Why in the world would a student register with an unaccredited school with large costs, when UNISA or UNIZUL or one of the other SA schools is available at very very very reasonable prices?? Or is this from the South African's perspective? Maybe the cost of UNISA, et al is expensive to the average South African. I am just curious. It just seems bizarre to me. clint
One reason is the cost. Another is that South African universities are famously rigid with regard to entrance requirements. A third is that the universities are academically quite rigorous, and some people prefer an easier route. A fourth (and only partially related) reason is that the public universities are rather intimidating, and as a result some people are easily swayed by the mill soft-speak.
Thanks Gert, I guess it isn't much different from the guys going to mills in the USA. Thanks for the explanation. clint
