Pretoria: As part of efforts to safeguard the credibility and integrity of South Africa’s national examination system, Umalusi has outlined a set of non-negotiable requirements for online and distance learning providers offering the National Senior Certificate (NSC).
According to South African Government News Agency, Umalusi Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Mafu Rakometsi, addressed the media in Pretoria, highlighting the rapid growth of online learning institutions in the absence of a regulatory framework to formally accredit these schools. Dr. Rakometsi noted, “There is currently no regulatory framework for online education. We have also communicated that the Department of Basic Education has been working on interim measures for the purpose of regulating online schools. Regrettably, not much progress has been made in this regard.”
Umalusi, South Africa’s national education quality assurance body, in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE), the Independent Examinations Board (IEB), and the South African Comprehensive Assessment Institute (SACAI), has established guidelines to govern the registration and management of online schools and distance education providers offering the NSC examination. These guidelines are designed to ensure adherence to Umalusi’s quality assurance standards and maintain the integrity of assessments.
One of the principal requirements outlined by Dr. Rakometsi is that all NSC examinations must be conducted in person at registered examination centres in South Africa, rather than online. Assessment bodies are tasked with registering only reputable providers, ensuring these institutions offer the National Curriculum Statement (NCS) for Grades 10 to 12, and verifying that learners registered for Grade 12 examinations have completed Grades 10 and 11 successfully.
Moreover, assessment bodies must confirm the credibility of school-based assessment (SBA) marks, implement multiple levels of moderation, and take full responsibility for examination centres where learners complete their final exams. Dr. Rakometsi emphasized the continued partnership with relevant stakeholders to enhance oversight of online education while awaiting policy direction from the department.
Dr. Rakometsi urged the Department of Basic Education to expedite the finalization of guidelines to establish national requirements for the registration of online schools by Provincial Education Departments and outline the criteria for their accreditation by Umalusi. He underscored the importance of maintaining quality and fairness in education, especially for high-stakes qualifications like the National Senior Certificate, amid the ongoing transformation of the education landscape through technology.