Phasing of out Technology qualifications by the DHET

The department of higher education and training in south Africa has decided to phase out National Diploma and BTech qualifications for engineering with 2019 being the final year in which students could register for the aforementioned qualifications. However, some institutions had enrolled students in extended programmes and would have to enroll for these qualifications in 2020. Since some of these institutions haven't received accreditation for the "new programmes", such students would have wasted a whole year on an obsolete extended program with no follow-up qualification. These are thousands of futures and dreams that have been put on hold due institutional and/or organisational politics. Furthermore, students who have completed their respective National Diploma qualifications and had intentions of enrolling for BTech or the new "advanced diploma" are also on the same boat. 

We therefore urge the department to extend the accreditation for the older qualifications until such a time that the universities meet the requirements for the new qualifications or such students have been accommodated.

Technology/Engineering students of South Africa    Contact the author of the petition