Dayspring Study Centre has responded to the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) statements regarding the legitimacy of the centre.
In a written response via their lawyer Sue Parry, the owner and principal of the school had the following to say.
“All school-leaving certification has to be through a recognised Exam board. Cambridge is a recognised Exam board in S A. The qualifications that learners receive through Cambridge are considered International qualifications and must be converted to an Umuluzi equivalent.
“SAQA is a body that converts International certificates to an Umuluzi certificate. Umuluzi is the only recognised matric certification in the country. SAQA dictates requirements in terms of subjects and marks obtained in order to issue an Umuluzi equivalent for College and not for University,” said Parry.
“HESA (Higher Education in South Africa) is the body that dictates International certification requirements for South African Universities. Before any child with International certification can enter our Universities, HESA has to do the conversion for an exemption matric. In essence: an Umuluzi equivalent based on subject choices and marks obtained.
“The Universities in S. A. each dictate their own requirements, per faculty, for a normal Umuluzi Certificate. ie. If a learner has written IEB or GDE, but depend on SAQA and HESA to recognise International qualifications. HESA does not dictate entrance requirements for our universities.
All learners must receive accreditation by Umuluzi, whether it is obtained by SAQA or HESA,” she said.
“Without an Umuluzi certificate they are not accredited in S A – in this respect paragraph 2 of the statement is accurate.
However, it is incorrect to say that learners at Dayspring cannot write recognised examinations. It is so that they may not write these exams on Dayspring’s premises as it is not a registered exam centre. Dayspring prepares learners to write the Cambridge exams but does not conduct them.
“Umuluzi is not a body, it is the name of the Matric certificate.
HESA is the body that does the Umuluzi certificate for Matric Exemption (University entrance), SAQA is the body that does the Umuluzi certificate for the Matric certificate (College entrance) – for international qualification.
All of the above is fully explained to parents seeking admission for their children,” the statement concluded.
Parry also replied to the following questions from the Record (Her answers in brackets) :
1. At which examination centres are your pupils examined and are these centres recognised by the GDE? Please supply us with documentation supporting your claim.(See above)
2. Did the GDE encourage you to remain open until your documentation is in order? Please supply us with any documentation supporting your claim. (No)
3. Are you registered with any official Cambridge structures? If so, which one. Please supply us with documentation supporting your claim. (No, we follow the curriculum)
4. Are you registered as a study centre and with whom? (No)
5. Did the GDE and SAPS order you last year to close your doors? (No official order has been received. The reference to SAPS and their involvement is not understood)
6. What is your opinion as to why the municipality refuses to give you site use consent? (The council has exercised its discretion. An appeal has been lodged on 14 December 2015)
7. According to the press statement above, you are operating illegally. Why, in your opinion would the GDE make this statement? (To be registered with the GDE, consent use in respect of the premises from which Dayspring conducts business is required. This is all that is outstanding)
8. Did the GDE at any stage during your application, verbally or in an application form, ask you as to how the children will be examined and where? (The exam procedure has been fully explained to the GDE).
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