Fresh allegations emerge against Damelin College as Educor tries to restore pride

Educor Holdings chief operating officer (COO) Michael Thurley said the group hopes to restore the household name of its four colleges that were re-registered in August.

This while fresh allegations of misconduct have been levelled against Damelin College, where lecturers were allegedly asked to mark exam papers for subjects they had not taught.

Damelin, City Varsity, ICESA City Campus, and Lyceum were deregistered in July last year for failing to provide financial statements and comply with regulations.

This put into doubt the futures of tens of thousands of students and teachers across the country.

Educor colleges reinstated on ‘humanitarian grounds’

The Department of Higher Education and Training’s Director-General, Nkosinathi Sishi told media the decision to re-register the institutions in August was made on “humanitarian grounds”.

“After consideration on humanitarian grounds by the minister of the consequences of the closure of the institutions, the minister took a decision that on humanitarian grounds the institution be re-registered,” Sithi told media.

“Therefore, at this point in time, this institution is back in its operation.”

There were no administrative preconditions beyond the institutions submitting monthly reports for six months.

Tens of thousands of students to return

In a statement on Wednesday, Educor’s chief operating officer welcomed the decision as a boon for students, faculty and management. He said it reinforced the organisation’s position as one of South Africa’s largest and most diverse private education providers.

Collectively, the four institutions offer more than 300 courses across various disciplines, supporting the academic growth of thousands of students.

Educor manages seven educational brands in South Africa and abroad, with 50,000 students studying at these South African colleges at the start of this academic year.

“I would like to thank all the incredible educational staff who stood by us throughout this time,” Thurley said.

“Our focus remains steadfast on providing uninterrupted learning experiences for our students while maintaining a supportive environment for our staff.

“We fully embrace the minister’s decision to reinstate the registration of our institutions and are deeply committed to preserving the legacy of these historic institutions. Their continued success is essential to the future of higher education in South Africa.”

The COO said all courses remain fully accredited and recognised by the department and the South African Qualifications Authority.

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Educor colleges welcome new students, look at new business model

The colleges are ready to accept new student registrations.

“In 2025 we are looking to create stability and rebuild the institutions’ place in the market and public space,” Thurley added.

“We are going to redefine ourselves and take the time to navigate this new world we find ourselves in, restoring ourselves to the household name and level of quality deserved by South African students.”

He said the company was re-engineering its business model to meet the evolving needs of the education sector and modern workforce.

Lecturers ‘mark subjects they had not taught’

This came the same day News24 reported that two former staff members at Damelin College said lecturers were told to mark exam papers for subjects they hadn’t taught that year.

The situation was allegedly forced on academic staff in November and December last year, following dismissals and resignations, they said.

It is reported that if the lecturers had not done this, many papers would not have been marked at all.

This allegedly occurred at Damelin’s now-closed East London and Gqeberha campuses.