A group of part-time students from the University of Venda (Univen) are demanding a refund of their tuition fees after allegedly being issued fake early childhood development (ECD) certificates. These students claim that the certificates they obtained hold no practical value as they are rejected when they apply for jobs or further studies in Grade R diploma programmes.
The students studied the ECD program offered at the Univen Innovative Growth Company (UIGC) for 12 months between 2019 and 2021 because of the impact of Covid-19. They paid substantial tuition fees of R18 500, with the expectation of receiving quality education that would lead to viable career prospects. However, when they attempted to apply for jobs or further studies, they were rejected because their certificate programmes did not meet the necessary requirements.
Some of the affected students expressed their frustration, citing instances where they were shortlisted for jobs or invited for interviews but were ultimately denied employment because their certificates did not qualify them to teach Grade R. They are demanding a refund, claiming that they went as far as seeking loans from loan sharks to pay their tuition fees.
The students also mentioned that they faced rejection when applying to study further at universities such as North-West University, Unisa, and even at Univen itself. They believe that their academic records and statements with results do not correspond with the ECD certificates they received.
Attempts at mediation were made by a non-profit organisation called Thusa Lushaka Paralegal and Advice, but the university reportedly stated that they could do nothing to address the students' concerns.
The Univen spokesperson, Mr Takalani Dzaga, denied the allegations, stating that the ECD course was non-credit-bearing and had gone through the university's internal programme quality assurance (IPQA) process and been approved. "It has been approved by the South African Council of Educators (SACE), and some of the graduates have been appointed by the Department of Education as Foundation Phase educators. Others have been admitted by Unisa to pursue their diplomas in Foundation Phase," Dzaga said.
Mr Risuna Nkuna, spokesperson of the South African Council for Educators (SACE), said the department did not issue any academic certificates or qualifications.
The senior manager: registration and recognition of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), Mr Japie Nel, said the name on the ECD certificate was different from the name that had been registered with SAQA. "There is a Certificate in Early Childhood Education registered at NQF level 5 (120 credits – one year of study) against the University of Venda. This qualification reached the registration end date on 31 December 2018. Univen could still register learners until 31 December 2019, and learners had the opportunity to complete the qualification until December 2021," Nel said.
An inquiry was also submitted to the spokesperson for the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET), Mr Ishmael Mnisi, regarding the matter. However, he referred this newspaper to the Council for Higher Education (CHE), to whom we first sent our enquiry on 19 June. Despite numerous follow-ups thereafter, we had not received a response from this department's spokesperson, Mr Ntokozo Bhengu, at the time of our going to press.