College of Africa ordered to change ‘misleading’ name
The College of Africa in Turfloop, just outside Polokwane in Limpopo has been instructed to change its name to a Skills Provider and not a college, as its current naming is misleading to students.
The instruction comes from the Deputy Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Mimmy Gondwe during her oversight visits, as part of the Bogus Colleges Awareness Campaign, in Turfloop on Thursday, 19 March.
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During the engagement, the college indicated that it offers qualifications free of charge, with students only paying for accommodation [rent].
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However, the Deputy Minister raised serious concerns about the model and emphasised that the institution must not issue certificates, as this further misleads students regarding accreditation and legitimacy.
Dr Gondwe also visited the Pentagon College also in Turfloop during the visit, it was found that some of the programmes offered at the institution are not accredited.
The college was also offering Matric programmes, which is not permitted. The Deputy Minister instructed the institution to immediately discontinue these programmes and remove all unregistered courses from their brochures and marketing materials to avoid misleading students.
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Following this, the Deputy Minister proceeded to Polokwane Central, where she visited College on Hills.
At College on Hills, it was established that the institution is still offering programmes that have been phased out.
Although the college indicated that it does not issue certificates upon completion, but rather statements of results, the Deputy Minister directed that these programmes must be stopped immediately.
The institution was further instructed to fully comply with the Department of Higher Education and Training and its quality assurance bodies.
Dr Gondwe says the visits form part of ongoing efforts to protect students and ensure that all institutions operate within the legal and regulatory framework.
