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The Department of Higher Education has warned students to be wary of "registered" private colleges which offer certificates, diplomas and degrees but do not have its stamp of approval. A department spokesman expressed concern about the current trend whereby institutions secured registration for one or two programmes, and then used this status as a cover to offer other unregistered courses.

A summer school entitled "From Principles to Practice: Higher education policy and research project management" was organized in Cape Town for masters and PhD students in the field of higher education studies. Practical examples and tips were given on how to navigate the field of competitive funding applications, the so-called "dirty" world of research.

Sexual harassment is rarely discussed in South African universities, but an investigation into a sex scandal that has rocked the University of the Witwatersrand has brought the subject under the spotlight. Wits University is investigating some academics after its student Newspaper accused an unnamed lecturer in the political studies department of sexual misconduct.

The Department of Basic Education has finalised the terms of reference for the task team that will investigate allegations of selling of posts within the sector. The names of the task team members will be announced once the proposed list has been gazetted. Basic Education Minister established the task team after recent media reports alleging that some posts in the education sector were sold for cash.

CAPE TOWN – The current government has yet to win over youth, concurred youngsters in Mitchell’s Plain. “Government has failed us. They have failed us in so many ways” said 16-year-old resident. “There is an inequality among schools. You look at schools in Constantia and then you look at our schools. They have more resources.”
*Cape Town

A forensic probe into corrupt practices at the government’s embattled multibillion-rand student funding vehicle is set to be launched, said Higher Education and Training Minister. The scheme gets a significant portion of the department’s budget. Students who did not meet the scheme’s funding thresholds were granted loans, putting countless deserving others at a disadvantage.

The Deputy President says a proposal to deal with the problem of fake qualifications is being prepared and will soon be presented to Cabinet for approval. He said the Minister of Higher Education and Training has already requested that the South African Qualifications Authority establish a national register to list names of individuals who have misrepresented their qualifications or who have invalid qualifications.

The Basic Education Minister briefed media on the interim report submitted by a ministerial task team set up to probe allegations of selling of teachers’ posts. The Minister said the report confirmed there is corruption and undue influence in the appointment of teachers and school principals, there are weaknesses in the system and that the authority of the state and powers of certain stakeholders in the appointment process would need to be reviewed.

The Basic Education Minister delivered a statement regarding the investigation into allegations of selling of posts for teachers following the release of preliminary report by her Task Team on the work done thus far. According to the minister the report, though not yet complete, has uncovered some very concerning tendencies that are being perpetuated in the appointment of teachers and principals. The full details of the report will be released at a later stage.

The SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) was fingered as the main culprit in a damning report into the alleged selling of teachers' posts released on Thursday. According to a report by the Basic Education Minister’s task team, government systems have allowed an exploitation of the system, which compromised proper appointments of critical educator posts.