Nobuhle Nkabane (Gallo Images/Misha Jordaan)
New Minister of Higher Education and Training Nobuhle Nkabane, has provisionally reinstated the registration of the private higher education group Educor on “purely humanitarian grounds.”
She said she made the decision last month to minimise “disruption to the education and future prospects of the students currently enrolled.”
Nkabane’s predecessor, Blade Nzimande, announced the cancellation of the registration of four colleges in the Educor group in March. At the time, these colleges taught about 13 000 students.
Nzimande said that City Varsity, ICESA City Campus, Lyceum College, and Damelin had become “dysfunctional.” He added that Educor had, for the past two years, failed to submit its annual financial statements and tax clearance certificates.
The announcement led to a flood of confusion, with staff and students complaining that Educor was not communicating with them.
Late last month, Damelin East London abruptly shut its doors due to low student numbers. A staff member News24 spoke to said its 18 employees have still not been paid for July and August. Educor did not respond to News24’s queries.
Educor’s property arm is also facing a liquidation bid by Nedbank over millions of rands in debts. The case has not yet been heard.
Nkabane said that Educor was required to submit comprehensive monthly reports to her department.
“These reports must include […] detailed financial statements, student enrolment statistics, and progress updates on compliance with Council of Higher Education accreditation standards,” she said.
Nkabane said that she could still revoke the group’s provisional reinstatement should it fail to meet the conditions or if “any further non-compliance is detected.”
Educor’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael Thurley, welcomed Nkabane’s announcement as a “significant milestone.”
“As we move forward, Damelin is fully committed to strengthening our relationship with the department of higher education and training and ensuring that we not only meet but exceed the regulatory standards required of us,” he said.
“Damelin remains steadfast in our mission to empower students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in their chosen fields.”
Thurley said the education group was re-engineering its business model, without providing further detail.
