NQF, SAQA, NLRD, CHE, QCTO… SA’s education quality assurance bodies and systems comprise a whole lot of acronyms that can be very confusing but that is where we can help. We are going to break it all down into bite size chunks (with an infographic of course) and at the end of this article, you will be able to perfectly understand this sentence:
Essentially you want a qualification that is listed on the NLRD which is recorded with SAQA and registered with the DHET and depending on the NQF level must be quality assured by QCTO, SETA, CHE or other bodies.
For parents and students, one of the biggest concerns when selecting what to study is whether the qualification is recognised by an official quality assurance body. This assurance gives peace of mind that a) the course is of a high standard and b) it may assist with securing future employment. All the different bodies and systems can be baffling so let’s start with the basics.
NLRD, SAQA and DHET
Any learner achievement is recorded on the National Learner Record Database (NLRD) through the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA). You want your academic record to be with the NLRD as this is the database with relevant details of every person who has completed qualifications. By having it recorded here, it ensures quality, credibility and permanently secured no matter what happens to the qualification or the entity who provided it.
SAQA is the authority that lists all the valid qualifications in South Africa. However, before it can be listed with SAQA it has to be registered through the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) which is one of the departments of the South African government, the department that manages universities and post-secondary education.
National Qualifications Framework (NQF)
The South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) oversees the implementation of the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). The NQF system is a set of principles and guidelines which classifies a person’s skills and knowledge according to a certain level. This is recognized nationally in South Africa. It comprises ten levels of learning achievements.
- General Certificate
- Elementary Certificate
- Intermediate Certificate
- National Certificate
- Higher Certificate
- Diploma / Advanced Certificate
- Bachelor’s Degree / Advanced Diploma
- Honours Degree / Postgraduate Diploma
- Master’s Degree
- Doctoral Degree
Quality assurance
All education providers must register with the relevant quality council else they will not be able to record the achievements of their learners on the National Learners Record Database (NLRD). This basically means that if your education provider is not registered, they are offering a programme that is classified as informal learning and that cannot be recognised as a formal qualification.
Three different quality assurance bodies regulate each of SA’s three main kinds of education.
1. UMALUSI
High school education is regulated by the Umalusi quality assurance body. These fall under the NQF levels 1-4.
2. QUALITY COUNCIL FOR TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS (QCTO)
The Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO) regulates all vocational (occupational) qualifications that fall in NQF levels 1-8. The QCTO also oversees qualifications that are offered through the Sector Education and Training Authority (SETA) which was prompted by the country’s Skills Development Act. The SA economy is split up into different sectors (collectively covering every industry and occupation in the country) and each one has its own SETA offering learnerships, apprenticeships, unit-based skills and internships. Examples include AGRISETA, BANKSETA, SERVICES SETA etc but you can view the full list here.
The QCTO ensures that all SETA qualifications are centrally monitored as well as offering relevant trades through standard curricula.
3. COUNCIL FOR HIGHER EDUCATION (CHE)
The Council for Higher Education (CHE) regulates academic qualifications (at NQF levels 5-10) that can only be offered through Higher Education Institutions.
4. PROFESSIONAL BODIES
Although professional bodies cannot offer qualifications themselves, it is worth noting them as one of the quality assurance providers. Essentially, they guide the curriculum (aka the content) for NQF levels 1-6 that is needed for professional designations. These include Project Management South Africa (PMSA), South African Board for People Practices (SABPP), South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA), Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) and many more listed here.
And there you have it… the outline of SA’s accreditation process and education quality assurance bodies that ensures we deliver credible, quality qualifications to all our learners.Â
https://www.gov.za/sites/default/files/gcis_document/201409/nsdframe0.pdf
