MINISTER of higher education and training, Dr Blade Nzimande has declined the appeal lodged by the Durban based Centre for Fine Art Animation and Design (CFAD), following the department’s de-registration of the school after failing to submit its annual report for 2015.
The department says that since the registration of CFAD has been cancelled, the 2018 cycle falls away. The institution has to phase out pipeline students on or before 31 December 2017.
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Department spokesperson Lehlohonolo Mphuthi said the reasons for the cancellation of registration was due to the institution’s failure to provide proof of certificates awarded to its students, submit audited annual financial statements and financial surety.
“They also failed to supply the Institution’s Administrative Data and Staff and Student Data. The department does not fund CFAD, however CFAD receives funding from the MICSETA.”
Prominent Durban cartoonist, Dr Nanda Soobben, who runs the school said: “We are deciding not to go to court, classes are still carrying on, because the students don’t have an alternative. The students have a right to education. We had all the options on the table. I met with a senior counsel on our legal options.”
“He said we would win the case in court, but it would be long and drawn-out because of all the regulations they were going to throw at us and the taxpayers’ money they were going to use against me. So we decided to go for re-accreditation. We are also a vital joint partner with DUT for next year’s World Digital Fair that’s taking place in Durban,” said Soobben.
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A communique released by the department of Higher Education claims that as a result of the decision to cancel the registration of the centre, the school is required to ensure that no students are enrolled after the date specified by the registar and that the school has to reimburse or compensate any enrolled student who has a lawful claim on the institution as a consequence of ceasing to operate.
However, Soobben acknowledged that the institution had taken on new students, all of whom had applied last year but added they also had 10 new students who were studying for free.
“We took the students because they would otherwise have nowhere to go. Only 3rd year students would have to pay as they finished their qualification this year,” he said.
Last year Soobben accused the department of Higher Education of unfair treatment.
“Why shut down the school for technical matters and not the curricular we offer the students. We experienced four robberies at our old premises in Cowey Road, where we lost computers and our database and we could not submit our annual report. Not even once has the department visited the school,” he said at the time.
In 2011 the school was selected as an Institute of Excellence by the MAPPP Seta. It is one of only four institutions in South Africa to be selected for the accolade and received an accompanying grant which will be used to establish an animation production studio – the first in KZN – and enhance the training programme.
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