Beware bogus colleges, says department of higher education

The department has issued lists indicating registered private colleges.

The department of higher education and training issues this warning on the South African Government Facebook page to beware of bogus colleges. Picture: Facebook

The department of higher education and training posted a warning on the South African Government Facebook page on Wednesday for people to “beware of bogus colleges”.

The post is receiving much attention by social media users, having received nearly 600 shares by Thursday afternoon.

In the post, the department warns: “Before registering at a college, check if it’s registered and accredited.”

This was published along with a link to a list of registered private colleges on the department of higher education and training website. Enquiries can also be made by calling: 0800 87 22 22.

Three lists are available on the website showing:

Accredited skills development providers
Register of private colleges
Register of private higher education institutions.

A screenshot of a post on the South African Government Facebook page. Picture: Facebook

More than 400 people had reacted to the post by Thursday afternoon, and in the comments section, a couple of social media users had written that #BogusSchoolsMustFall.

Matlejoane Mojanko added a warning: “They might be registered but not offering registered courses. Be careful.”

At least two of the social media users who commented said they believed that lists of the registered schools needed to be made available in rural areas: