The Department has plans to close institutions that operate without being registered with the relevant bodies.
a) Plans and processes which are followed to close illegal colleges are guided by both the Constitution and the law enforcement agents. Article 29(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa requires every private provider of education and training to be registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). The purpose of registration is to ensure that private providers of education and training operate within the law, have the necessary resources, capacity and expertise to offer acceptable standards of higher education.
The Department maintains 2 Registers which are published on its website at www.dhet.gov.za for the benefit of the public. These are the Register of Private Higher Education Institutions and the Register of Private Colleges. The Register of Private Higher Education Institutions also lists all the illegal colleges to alert the public, using electronic media.
b) The Department is required to follow specific procedures before it approaches the South African Police Services (SAPS) for assistance, these include: