SCHOOL NEWS - An anonymous reader wrote to George Herald, naming four schools/centres in George allegedly operating without the required registration with the Western Cape Education Department (WCED).
Upon enquiry, the department confirmed that one of those named was in the process of being registered, but that the others were unregistered. Millicent Merton, a WCED communications official, said, however, if an institution is not operating as an independent school, it would not be registered as such.
It turned out one of the four mentioned centres had in the past been registered with the department, but had deregistered three years ago, as did the company that had run the centre.
The other three are not independent schools, but learning support centres providing academic support, guidance and supervision for learners already enrolled for formal schooling (mostly for long-distance or homeschooling), and are advertising their services as such.
The centre that is being registered as an independent school, as confirmed by the WCED, said it had begun its application process last year, as it wished to expand its services to learners in the future. It is awaiting registration.
In their responses to George Herald, all three stressed that a learning support centre differs significantly from an independent school and a definite distinction should be made between the two.
Merton stressed that parents who choose to home-educate their children have the flexibility to select a curriculum themselves. The National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Caps) curriculum is not mandatory.
She said should the department become aware of a possible unregistered school, it will investigate, and if the school's status is confirmed, will provide the school with guidance and support to apply for registration. A time frame is set for submitting the required documentation.
"The owner is also informed that the school may not operate unless it is compliant and has received a formal registration certificate issued by the head of education."
Institutions that fail to register are considered to be operating illegally and must cease all operations immediately. "They may, however, submit a new application for registration."
School infrastructure (buildings and grounds) of independent schools must be in line with comparable public school standards in the area. Photo: Pexels
Strict requirements for independent schools
Registration of an independent school has strict legal and operational requirements in terms of the Western Cape Provincial School Education Act and South African Schools Act.
Among the main requirements is that the head of an independent school must be a principal who holds a recognised teaching qualification and is registered with the South African Council for Educators (Sace), especially if serving as academic head or phase head.
School infrastructure (buildings and grounds) must be in line with comparable public school standards in the area. They must comply with health authority requirements and municipal by-laws, and secure tenure of at least 12 months after registration.
Conditions of operation after registration
Once registered, independent schools must further comply with a range of conditions pertaining to learner admittance, compulsory school attendance rules, learner capacity and teacher registration, among others. These schools are also required to participate in the WCED’s Central Education Management Information System (Cemis).
Teaching may only start once a school has received its official registration certificate from the department. These schools must comply with prescribed teaching time and school calendar requirements aligned to the National Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (Caps) or equivalent recognised frameworks.
Independent schools must ensure that their curriculum meets National Curriculum Statement (NCS) outcomes and is recognised by the relevant authorities, including Higher Education South Africa (Hesa). After registration, schools must also apply for accreditation with Umalusi, the national quality assurance body.
Schools not following the Caps curriculum are required to register with a recognised assessment body to ensure their programmes are quality-assured and recognised for further studies. Safety compliance is also mandatory under defined school safety regulations.
Once all documentation has been received, WCED officials conduct site visits to verify the information provided. After registration, independent schools are subject to annual monitoring visits to ensure ongoing compliance. In cases involving subsidised independent schools, the department reserves the right to conduct unannounced inspections and review various aspects of school operations and records.
The names of the centres are not provided so that their names are not linked with negative allegations. Parents who wish to enrol their children at a support centre should insist on verified quality assurance beforehand.
‘We bring you the latest Garden Route, Hessequa, Karoo news’
