The Department of Higher Education has deregistered the following schools “Damelin, City Varsity, Icesa City Campus and Lyceum College as private learning institutions.” The department of higher education general, Nkosinathi Sishi canceled the registrations due to failure from the private institutes to provide financial statements from 2020.
For many years students from Educor campuses have voiced complaints about poor teaching, and low quality education material, lack of competent administrative support, staff with questionable qualifications, administrative corruption and bribery between staff members and students alike. There has been a notable decline in professionalism, exploitation of poor students, underpaid staff salaries.
Professor Blade Nzimande (Minister of Higher Education) issued a statement saying that
“The four colleges Damelin, City Varsity, Icesa City, Lyceum College have failed to comply with the requirements of the (Higher Education) Act and the parameters that lie within the regulation.
Section 2b of the Act says that the institutes should discharge and submit their annual financial statements and the tax clearance for the 2021 and 2022 years as proof of their financial competence. The Educor institutes were told to submit an appeal with the minister by September of 2023. The Educor institutes then applied for an extension to February 28 2024.
The minister has decided to put his foot down on this matter because of the yearly influx of complaints from the students, reports of lecturers not being paid or showing up for facilitation, as well as inflating figures and falsifying records. The lack of professionalism has gone on long enough, the minister declared that the students who are currently enrolled will be reimbursed by the institutions. The Educor institutes are also required to arrange for the affected students to complete their programmes at alternative and comparable public or private institutions. The Educor institutes are also required to cease operations before the end of the academic year, and ensure that no new students are enrolled after the date of specified by the Registrar.
The department felt that this course of action was in the best interests of the students. However this means more than half the institutions that make up Braamfontein are going to be discontinued because, Braamfontein thrived because it being a segment of Johannesburg dedicated to college children. People have been mourning online for how Braam was once the epicenter of Urban Youth culture.
The glorious 2010 decade where if an artist would want to make it in the industry, Braamfontein was the destination every young hopeful would find themselves. Music, fashion and film icons were birthed from those streets. The creative capital that breathed life into the atmosphere had you immersed in the excitement of the arts.
Another landmark in Braamfontein, is the beloved cafe’ Kitcheners. Kitcheners recently issued a statement saying they are shutting its doors down for good. Kitcheners have a special place in the hearts of artists and art lovers alike. The ‘It’ crowd, the cool crowd, the foreigners who flew in from wherever and they decided to come to the most highly rated place, the artist trying to make it, Kitcheners was a habitat for the culture of Braamfontein. People are mourning the closing of the establishment which spells the end for the little slice of heaven that once was Braamfontein.
