The Importance of Registration, Accreditation and Licensing

The Independent Institute of Education (Pty) Ltd is the country’s largest, most accredited private higher education institution.  We have attained this status by taking the intention and letter of the law seriously because they are designed to protect the interests of students against unscrupulous providers and poor quality programmes.  Regrettably there has been a resurgence of institutions that are not operating with the same mindset and we are aware of many instances of misleading communication and downright illegal presentation of credentials.

This is an appeal to you – and those you know – to be aware of your rights and the responsibilities of those working in the education and training environment.

Legal requirements

All institutions that confer or issue certificates for full higher education qualifications must be:

• registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training and
• accredited to offer that programme on that particular campus by the Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) and
• the programme itself needs to be recorded on the NQF. 

If an institution is offering tuition services to support a distance educationprovider it is normal for the tuition provider to be a registered / licenced tuition centre for the distance education institution such as UNISA or IMM GSM.

Before registering with any institution please ensure you check:                                                                                                                                                 

• Are they registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training?               
• Are the qualifications they are offering accredited?  By whom?
• If they are offering tuition are they a licenced tuition centre?   

If you have answered ‘No’ to any of these questions, be very careful or do not register.

Where can you check?

These are all pieces of information that institutions should have no difficulty giving you.  In addition there is a register of registered Private Higher Education Institutions on the Department, SAQA and CHE websites – go and look for yourself to ascertain the status of an institution.

Look up our entry – number 46 on the April 2012 register – Independent Institute of Education (The).

We sincerely hope that you are planning to register again with one of our brands next year – either to complete your current qualification or begin another one but in case you have started the process of looking at other options please make sure that before you register with any education institution you check these important criteria and that you research and investigate thoroughly.  Your future is important to us.

Not only do registration and accreditation meet legal requirements but they also provide you as the student access to redress mechanisms – including the CHE and the HEQC – should concerns arise.

Should you require any further information do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr Felicity Coughlan

Director and Head of Institute