INSTITUTION
TYPES & CREDENTIALS
Types of higher education
institutions:
University
University of
Technology (former Technikon)
College (Further
Education and Training Colleges, Nursing, Technical Colleges)
Comprehensive
Institutions
School leaving and higher
education credentials:
Senior Certificate
Matriculation
Endorsement
National Certificate
National Higher
Certificate
National Diploma
(Ndip)
National Higher
Diploma
Bachelor of
Technology (Btech)
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor Honours
Degree
Postgraduate Diploma
Master of Technology
(Mtech)
Master's Degree
Doctor of Technology
(Dtech)
Doctorate
STRUCTURE
OF EDUCATION SYSTEM
Pre-higher
education:
Duration
of compulsory education:
Age of
entry: 6
Age of
exit: 15
Structure of school system:
Primary
Type of
school providing this education: Primary School
Length
of program in years: 6
Age level from: 6 to: 12
Junior Secondary
Type of
school providing this education: Junior Secondary School (first year still
placed under primary school)
Length
of program in years: 3
Age
level from: 12 to: 15
Certificate/diploma awarded: General Education and
Training Certificate
Technical Secondary
Type of
school providing this education: Technical Level Secondary School
Length
of program in years: 2
Age
level from: 15 to: 17
Certificate/diploma awarded: Senior Certificate
1-3 years (depending on N programmes followed)
Senior Secondary
Type of
school providing this education: Senior Secondary School
Length
of program in years: 3
Age
level from: 15 to: 18
Certificate/diploma
awarded: Senior
Certificate
School
education:
Primary education lasts for six years,
divided into junior primary and senior primary. Until now, secondary school
lasted for five years, the first year of the junior secondary phase being
followed in primary school. At the end of junior secondary (three years),
pupils are awarded the General Education and Training Certificate. At the end
of the senior secondary phase (lasting for three years), pupils sit for the
Senior Certificate Examination. The 1996 Constitution confirms the right to
basic education and that the Government must progressively make further
education (i.e. the senior secondary phase preceding higher education)
available and accessible through reasonable measures. Compulsory education
lasts for nine years (until age 15), followed by non-compulsory further
education. In the senior cycle, students may study subjects either at Higher
Grade, Standard Grade, or Lower Grade. N-courses are also offered to some
technical school and college candidates. A Senior Certificate is awarded by the
SA Certification Council following externally moderated examinations on
completion of senior secondary school. Technical secondary education is
provided by technical centres and secondary and vocational schools.
Matriculation endorsements are also offered by this Council to students who
have satisfied the ministerially approved overlay on the Senior Certificate.
Provision is also made for further education colleges through the Further
Education and Training Act. Technical high schools may, inter alia, offer
courses leading to Senior Certificates with matriculation endorsements, which
statutorily constitute the minimum general admission requirement for access to
universities. Universities of Technology (former Technikons) require Senior
Certificates but not necessarily with matriculation endorsements.
Higher
education:
The higher education system consists of
Public Universities, Universities of Technology and a College sector. The
Higher Education Act (December 1997) provides for the appointment of a
Registrar of Private Higher Education Institutions and a number of private
institutions have registered or are in the process of registering in terms of
these provisions. The South African universities offer Bachelor, Bachelor
Honours, Master and Doctorate Degrees, as well as Undergraduate and
Postgraduate Diplomas. Course work is structured in modules, with students
registering in a unit/credit system. Universities and Universities of
Technology, as autonomous institutions, are subsidized by the Department of
Education, and provide training at the post senior certificate level.
University of Technology courses lead to National Diplomas and Certificates
and, as from 1995, to Degrees with a minimum duration of four years. The
Certification Council for Technikons (SERTEC) is responsible for conferring
Universities of Technology Diplomas. The Higher Education Act stipulates that
higher education at Universities, Universities of Technology and Colleges comes
directly under the responsibility of the national government, whilst further
education colleges report to the nine provincial governments. There are 23
public higher education institutions in South Africa.
Main
laws/decrees governing higher education:
Decree:
Higher
Education Act Year: 1997
Academic
year:
Classes
from: Jan to: Dec
Languages
of instruction: Afrikaans,
English
Stages
of studies:
Non-university level post-secondary studies
(technical/vocational type):
Non-university
level:
Higher
technical/vocational studies are provided by Technical Colleges and
Universities of Technology. Apprenticeship training for technicians is offered
by Technical Colleges. Apprentices study for the National (Technical)
Certificate (N training). N-3 courses can also be taken as credits for the
Senior Certificate. The programme consists of three parts (N-1, N-2, N-3), each
lasting for four months, six months or a year, depending on the course
concerned. The N-training is a pre-senior Certificate level and the N-3 credits
are considered for the Senior Certificate (with pass in English and Afrikaans)
for entry to Universities of Technology and National Certificate studies, but
not for university studies. Most tertiary-level vocational programmes lead to a
three-year National Diploma as basic qualification. Universities of Technology
also provide vocationally oriented education and training in a variety of
disciplines leading to, amongst other Diplomas, first and advanced Degrees.
Diplomas at technical-vocational level lead to BTech, MTech and Dtech Degrees.
There are other types of specialist colleges, such as Nursing Colleges and
Agricultural Colleges, which do not offer Degree studies unless offered in
cooperation with Universities or Universities of Technology. In such cases, the
Degree-awarding institution/authority's name will appear on the Certificate.
University level studies:
University
level first stage:
First
stage:
The Bachelor Degree is awarded both by
Universities and Universities of Technology. Universities award the Bachelor
Degree after three to six years of study: Humanities, Commerce, Science - 3
years; Agriculture, Law, Engineering, Pharmacy and Education, four years;
Veterinary Medicine and Architecture, five years; Dentistry, five-and-a-half
years; Medecine and Theology, six years. Students in Humanities, Commerce and
Science wishing to proceed to a Master Degree are required to take a Bachelor
Honours Degree, which is awarded after a further year's study. Universities of
Technology award the Bachelor Degree of Technology (BTech), which is a
four-year Degree which includes one year of experiencial training. Universities
also confer a Professional Bachelor Degree after four years.
University
level second stage:
Second
stage:
The Master Degree is awarded by both
Universities and Universities of Technology. This Degree requires a minimum of
one to two years' research after the award of an Honours Degree in the case of
universities, and a Bachelor Degree in the case of Universities of Technology.
The Master Degree in Technology (MTech) may be obtained at least one year after
the BTech. This is an advanced qualification comprising taught subjects and
research, or only research. The thesis must relate to an industry specific
problem. Some university Master Degrees, e.g. the Master Degree in Business
Leadership (MBusAdministration), are partly taught and partly research Degrees,
where the thesis must relate to an industry or subject specific problem.
University
level third stage:
Third
stage:
Doctorates and
research Degrees are also awarded by both Universities and Universities of Technology.
They are conferred to holders of Master Degrees after a minimum of two years'
study. A Doctor in Technology (DTech) is awarded after successful completion of
a thesis at Universities of Technology. This degree is research-based and
studies last for at least two years. It comprises an advanced research project.
Teacher education:
Training
of pre-primary and primary/basic school teachers
Teacher Colleges have been transferred to the
National Department of Education and certain Universities run three-or
four-year Diploma courses qualifying holders to teach in primary schools. This
also applies to some universities and universities of technology. The general
admission requirement for Diploma studies at any of these colleges is a Senior
Certificate with pass marks in one of the two languages of instruction (i.e.
English and Afrikaans).
Training
of secondary school teachers
Degree-level courses for secondary school
teachers are offered by all universities and universities of technology. A
Senior Certificate with a matriculation endorsement or a Certificate of
complete or conditional exemption is required for university study, whilst
universities of technology have different requirements (usually Senior
Certificates and further requirements as stipulated in their joint statute).
Training
of higher education teachers
Forty per cent of
academic staff obtained their highest qualification at the University in which
they are employed, 30 per cent at another South African University and 30 per
cent at a foreign University.
Non-traditional studies:
Distance
higher education
Distance teaching,
which is mainly by correspondence, provides courses for about 35 per cent of
enrolled students. The University of South Africa (UNISA) offers correspondence
courses, either in English or in Afrikaans, for Bachelor Degree and
Postgraduate qualifications, provided such Bachelor Degrees include an
in-service training component. Course work is structured in modules. A maximum
of ten years is allowed to obtain a Bachelor Degree, an additional year for
Bachelor Honours Degree, three years for Postgraduate qualifications, two
further years for a Master Degree and two years for a Doctorate. The Degrees
are considered to be equivalent in standard to those awarded by other
Universities.
NATIONAL
BODIES
Administration
& co-ordination:
Responsible
authorities:
Department of
Education
Head: Naledi Pandor, Minister
Administrative officer: Duncan
Hindle, Acting Director-general
International relations: Ghaleeb
Jeppie, Director
Private
Bag X895
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Tel: +27(21) 4657350
Fax: +27(21) 4614788
EMail: webmaster@educ.pwv.gov.za
WWW: http://education.pwv.gov.za
Higher Education
South Africa (HESA)
Head: Piyushi Kotecha, Chief
Executive Officer (Acting)
Administrative officer: Tessa
Yeowart, Executive Manager
PO Box
27392
Sunnyside
Pretoria 0132
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 4812842
Fax: +27(12) 4812843/
4812850
EMail: admin@hesa.org.za
WWW: http://www.hesa.org.za
Role of
governing body: Umbrella
body for South African public higher education institutions.
Council on Higher
Education (CHE)
Head: Saki Macozoma, Chairperson
Administrative officer: Mala
Singh, Interim Chief Executive Officer
PO Box
13354
The Tramshed, Gauteng 0126
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 3929119
Fax: +27(12) 3929110
EMail: ceo@che.ac.za
WWW: http://www.che.ac.za
Role of
governing body: Advises
the Minister of Education on strategic issues in higher education, performs
quality assurance functions, dissiminates information on higher education.
International
Education Association of South Africa (IEASA)
Head: Roshen Kishun, President
International relations: Caleb
Maqubela, International Liaison Officer
PO Box
65099
Reservoir Hills
Durban 4090
South Africa
Tel: +27(31) 2603077
Fax: +27(31) 2602967
EMail: aieasa@nu.ac.za
WWW: http://www.und.ac.za/und/ieasa
Role of
governing body: Non-profit
organization created to respond to international educational trends.
Higher Education
Quality Committee (HEQC)
Head: H. Africa, Chairperson
Administrative officer: Mala
Singh, Executive Director
PO Box
13354, The Tramshed
Pretoria 0126
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 3929100
Fax: +27(12) 3929110
EMail: admin@che.ac.za
WWW: http://www.che.ac.za/heqc/heqc.php
Role of
governing body: Promotes
quality assurance in higher education; Audits the quality assurance mechanisms
of higher education institutions; Accredits programmes of higher education.
Council for Quality
Assurance in General and Further Education and Training (UMALUSI)
Administrative officer: P.
Lolwana, Chief Executive Officer
Post Net
Suite 102
Private Bag X 1
Queenswood
Pretoria 0121
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 3491510
Fax: +27(12) 3491511
EMail: info@umalusi.org.za
WWW: http://www.umalusi.org.za
Role of
governing body: Quality
assurer in the general and further education and training bands of the
nationalqualifications framework (NQF).
ADMISSIONS
TO HIGHER EDUCATION
Admission
to non university higher education studies
Name of
secondary school credential required: Senior Certificate
For
entry to: Universities
of technology, technical colleges, and other colleges.
Alternatives
to credentials:
Senior Certificate with N-courses obtained at
technical colleges or technical high schools.
Admission
to university-level studies
Name of
secondary school credential required: Senior Certificate
Minimum
score/requirement: Pass
marks in two Higher Grade languages, two additional Higher Grade subjects, at
least a further Standard Grade subject and a minimum aggregate of 45 % for six
subjects.
For
entry to: Universities.
Alternatives
to credentials: Certificate
of exemption from the matriculation endorsement required as issued by the
Matriculation Board on behalf of HESA or a conditional admission certificate
issued by a university of technology
Entrance
exams required: Matriculation
endorsements are required for admission to first degree studies at university
level and senior certificates for first degree studies at university of
technology or college level.
Foreign
students admission
Admission
requirements: Prospective
students coming from a non-South African schooling system must, for benchmark
purposes, hold qualifications that must be at least equivalent to the local
system. For university studies, candidates apply to the university which will
forward the application to the Matriculation Board which issues a certificate
of exemption in terms of other specified provisions. Conditions must be
satisfied on completion of degrees in the case of foreign conditional exemption
certificates.
Entry
regulations: Students
must hold a valid passport, a duly completed B1-159 application form that is
available from the Department of Home Affairs, a standard letter of provisional
acceptance to a South African institution, a letter of motivation and proof
that the student is in a situation to pay the tuition fees and has adequate
means of support.
Language
requirements: Students
must be proficient in English or Afrikaans.
Application
procedures:
Apply
to individual institution for entry to: Institutions of higher education
Recognition
of studies & qualifications:
Studies
pursued in home country (System of recognition/accreditation): A Higher Education
Quality Committee (HEQC) functions within the Council on Higher Education
(Tel.: +27(12) 392-9132, Fax: +27(12) 392-9120, Email: singh.m@che.ac.za,
Website: http://www.che.ac.za). It promotes quality assurance in higher
education, audits quality assurance mechanisms and accredits higher education
programmes.
Studies
pursued in foreign countries (bodies dealing with recognition of foreign
credentials):
Higher Education
South Africa (HESA)
Head: Piyushi Kotecha, CEO
(Acting)
Administrative officer: Cobus
Lötter, Director, Matriculation Board
PO Box
27392
Sunnyside
Pretoria 0132
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 4812842
Fax: +27(12) 4812843/
4812850
EMail: cobus@he-enrol.ac.za
WWW: http://www.hesa.org.za
Deals
with credential recognition for entry to: University
Services
provided & students dealt with: Local and international students
References
to further information on foreign student admissions and recognition of studies
Title: Study SA - The guide
to South African tertiary education - 4th edition
Publisher:
International
Education Association of South Africa (IEASA)
STUDENT
LIFE
Main
student services at national level
National Student
Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS)
Private bag XI
Plumstead 7801
South Africa
Tel: +27(21) 7978161
Fax: +27(21) 7978131
EMail: info@nsfas.org.za
WWW: http://www.nsfas.org.za
Category
of services provided: Social
and welfare services
National
student associations and unions
South African
Students' Representative Council (SAU-SRC)
Private Bag
Students' Union. University of Cape Town
Rondebosch 7700
South Africa
Tel: +27(21) 6509111
Fax: +27(21) 6502138
WWW: http://www.uct.ac.za
Student
expenses and financial aid
Student
costs:
Home
students tuition fees: Minimum: 4000 (Rand)
Maximum:
25000
(Rand)
Publications
on student services and financial aid:
Title: Guide to Distance
Education in South Africa
Publisher: HSRC Publishers
Title: Guide to Higher
Education in South Africa
Publisher: HSRC Publishers
Title: Study Abroad
2006-2007
Author:
UNESCO
Publisher:
UNESCO
Publishing
Year of
publication: 2005
INTERNATIONAL
COOPERATION & EXCHANGES
Principal
national bodies responsible for dealing with international cooperation and
exchanges in higher education:
Higher Education
South Africa (HESA)
Head: Piyushi Kotecha, Chief
Executive (Acting)
Administrative officer: Tessa
Yeowart, Executive Manager
PO Box
27392
Sunnyside, Pretoria 0132
South Africa
Tel: +27(12) 4812842
Fax: +27(12) 4812843/
4812850
EMail: admin@hesa.org.za
WWW: http://www.sauvca.org.za
International
Education Association of South Africa (IEASA)
Head: Roshen Kishun, Director
PO Box
65099
Reservoire Hills
Durban 4090
South Africa
Tel: +27(31) 2603077
Fax: +27(12) 2602967
EMail: aieasa@ukzn.ac.za
WWW: http://www.ukzn.ac.za/und/ieasa
GRADING
SYSTEM
Usual
grading system in secondary school
Full
Description: Marking
is alphabetical or expressed as a percentage. The usual pass mark in all higher
grade subjects is 40% (with 2 exceptions). The pass mark in all standard grade
subjects is 33%.
Highest
on scale: A
80-100%
Pass/fail
level: E
40-49%
Lowest
on scale: F
33-39%
Main
grading system used by higher education institutions
Full
Description: Classification
at some universities: 1st class (75-100%); 2nd class division 1 (70-74); 2nd
class division 2 (60-69); 3rd class (50-59); fail (below 50). Other
universities only distinguish: Distinction (75-100%); Pass (50-74%).
Highest
on scale: 1st
class
Pass/fail
level: 3rd
class
Lowest
on scale: F
NOTES
ON HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM
Data
for academic year: 2005-2006
Source:
IAU from
Higher Education South Africa (HESA), South Africa, 2006