In 2007 the Council on Higher Education (CHE) conducted a review of academic and professional programmes in education. The outcome of this review for the University of Zululand (UniZulu) for the Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) Foundation/Intermediate Phase was that it was accredited with conditions and the programme was put on notice of withdrawal. At the time, the university was required to review its education programmes and resubmit them for evaluation. Partly in response to the CHE review, the Department reviewed the teacher education policy and published a new policy (The Policy on Minimum Requirements for Teacher Education Qualifications in 2011). UniZulu, like all other universities, was required to redevelop all their teacher education qualifications to meet the requirements of the new policy. UniZulu redeveloped its B.Ed and submitted to the CHE.
- The CHE has evaluated the new Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF) aligned Bachelor of Education degree designed in line with the new policy on teacher education qualifications offered by the University of Zululand. The Higher Education Quality Committee (HEQC) of the CHE accredited all the submitted B.Ed programmes on 9 February 2017, with between one to four short-term conditions. These conditions must be met within three months of the accreditation letter. The institution is permitted to offer the qualification and register students on the new HEQSF aligned programme in 2017.
- (a) In 2015, there were 5 052 enrolments for the B Ed qualification at UniZulu and in 2016, there were 5 076 enrolments (preliminary 2016 data - still to be audited). (b) It is not possible to provide 2017 enrolments at this time.
- (a) Not applicable. (b) Accreditation has been granted for new qualifications as specified above. These new HEQSF aligned B.Ed programmes may only be offered after 9 February 2017. These specific qualifications may not be retrospectively awarded. Students registered in prior years were registered on the old Norms and Standards for Educators (2000) aligned qualifications. The accreditation of the old B.Ed qualifications, while on notice of withdrawal, were never disaccredited by the HEQC. Therefore all B.Ed students registered at UniZulu prior to 2017 were enrolled in accredited programmes and were not disadvantaged.
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DIRECTOR – GENERAL
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QUESTION 254 APPROVED/NOT APPROVED/AMENDED
Dr BE NZIMANDE, MP
MINISTER OF HIGHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING
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