Institutions affiliated with Educor, one of the biggest and oldest private education brands in the country, are racing against time to clean their image following the lifeline they received from the Department of Higher Education.
“The cancellation of Lyceum College on March 26, 2024, was a significant challenge for our institution. However, it also served as a catalyst for transformative change.
“In response, the Lyceum shareholders have been deeply committed to addressing the concerns that led to this decision,” said Lyceum in a statement on Thursday.
Lyceum is one of the four institutions that make up the Educor Group, along with City Varsity College, Damelin, and Icesa, whose programmes the department deregistered.
Failure to submit financial statements
Dr Blade Nzimande, in his capacity as the minister of higher education, cited failure by the institutions to submit proof of financial viability as the main reason for the drastic measure.
This included failure to submit their annual financial statements and tax clearance certificates for the 2021 and 2022 years as proof of their financial viability.
“The complaints include poor quality of teaching and learning, lack of proper administrative support, poorly qualified staff, corruption and bribery,” said Nzimande at the time.
Other allegations levelled against Educor included underpayment of staff salaries.
But the institution explained it has learnt its lesson.
“The development marks a new chapter for Lyceum College, reaffirming its commitment to providing quality higher education through distance learning in South Africa,” it said.
It further stated that, as part of rigorous corrective measures, an independent oversight committee has been established “to drive substantial improvements across all areas of our operations”, according to the college.
“This committee’s primary focus is to ensure that Lyceum not only meets but exceeds the regulatory standards required by the Department of Higher Education and Training,” the institution said.
Compliance with accreditation standards
The new Minister of Higher Education, Dr Nobuhle Nkabane, provisionally reinstated the registration of educators.
This means dozens of desperate students who were left on a lurch and unable to finish their courses have been thrown a lifeline.
But Nkabane issued a stern warning to Educor, saying it must fully comply with the Council on Higher Education (CHE) before the commencement of teaching and learning activities.
“Compliance with these accreditation standards is imperative to ensure the quality and integrity of their educational programmes,” she said.
In addition, the educator is required to submit comprehensive monthly reports to the department, such as financial statements, student enrolment statistics, and progress updates on CHE accreditation standards.
