Check everything before registering
January is “shark-feasting season" as scores of unscrupulous private colleges and fake training institutions take advantage of desperate learners, most of them from poor families.
As the nation congratulates all the matriculants who passed their final exams and we move into the new academic year, I would also like to take this opportunity to warn all former learners who will not be enrolling at a tertiary institution or technikon of their choice due to poor pass marks, to take great care when selecting private colleges and educational institutions to further their studies.
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Scores of unregistered colleges and learning institutions around Gauteng will also be opening their doors to lure these unsuspecting, desperate young township learners from poor communities with worthless, uncredited and unrecognised courses. Many of them lack proper career guidance, so they will fall for the meaningless, fanciful short courses which last for six months to a year.
Once the course is over, the learners are issued with graduation certificates, many of which are not worth the paper they are printed on.
In most instances, these desperate learners are the only members of their family who have ever been to a classroom and can read, write and count, as well as have a conversation in English. With their illiterate parents at home, they brandish these carefully crafted, colourful brochures promising them an endless world of fun and opportunity with a diploma or a certificate issued by the unregistered college.
The brochures also promise potential learners accredited qualifications and falsely claim that the college or training institution is recognised by, and registered, with the Department of Higher Education and Training, as well as with the different credible and registered accredited government training Sector Education and Training Authorities (SETAs).
Of course, as the eyes and ears of the communities of Kathorus, I believe it is our responsibility as the local newspaper to draw the attention of our readers to these unscrupulous dealings by people who operate these colleges in your communities and target learners from your neighbourhoods with their shady dealings.
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Both learners and their parents are urged to scrutinise, peruse and ask pertinent questions about a college before committing to the registration process. Make sure you do not find yourself or your parents bound by a ridiculous legal contract that will be an albatross around your neck.
Parents and learners are also urged to verify all information and details about the college they wish to enrol at, and verify that the college or institution is formally registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training and all the relevant education and training bodies it claims to belong to.
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