Registration uncertainty
Education department warns new university is 'fraudulent'
Is it enough for a university operating in SA to be accredited in the US? SA’s higher education department emphatically says no
South Africans love a freebie as much as anyone, but when a "tuition-free" university hit our shores recently, it rubbed higher education authorities up the wrong way. On the eve of the launch of the University of the People (UoPeople) in SA, the department of higher education & training issued a media alert warning that the "fraudulent university" was not registered with the department as required by law, and that it could find no evidence that it was accredited with the US education department. UoPeople did not have the authority to enrol students or grant degrees in SA, it said. Department spokesman Madikwe Mabotha says there is no evidence that the online American university is accredited in SA, and whether or not it is registered with the US education department has no bearing on its accreditation status in SA. But the local department’s warnings fell on deaf ears, as the launch of UoPeople was covered by television and newspapers across the country, highlighting the desperate ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.