Higher Education Director-General, Dr Nkosinathi Sishi confirmed the full registration of the Educor group, which manages institutions like Damelin and City Varsity. The group was deregistered last year for failing to meet several regulations.
The announcement from the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) will come as a relief to thousands of students and parents who faced deep uncertainty with regard to their education.
Former Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande confirmed the deregistration of the Damelin, City Varsity, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College following Educor's failure to submit audited financial statements for the 2021 and 2022 annual reports.
In August 2024, Minister Nobuhle Nkabane provisionally reinstated Educor's registration. The decision was made on humanitarian grounds, with the aim of minimising disruption to the education and prospects of currently enrolled students.
Their reinstatement was contingent on following strict conditions including submitting monthly reports to the DHET. The reports had to include detailed financial statements, student enrolment statistics, and updates on their progress in meeting Council of Higher Education accreditation standards.
Director-General Sishi confirmed the DHET has received these reports which paved the way for their full registration.
Indeed, Educor has been reinstated based on the agreed progress reports we have received.
The full registration comes after six months of compliance.
We didn't just re-register them. We began with provisional registration to ensure they were progressing toward full compliance across all institutions. For the past six months, they've been provisionally registered. We've now upgraded that status to full registration. They are now fully on our register, and we congratulate them.
The Director-General added that Educor was registered due to non-complaince with administration matters and not due to the quality of their educational offering.
Sishi cautioned that a lot of work must be done in order for Educor to address the concerns that led to their deregistration. They added that the DHET will continue to enforce compliance with legislation and policies.
