What now for students? Higher education dept deregisters Damelin, CityVarsity & Lyceum colleges

Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director of Henley Business School Africa.

The department of higher education on Friday cancelled the registrations of Damelin College, CityVarsity, Lyceum colleges, and Icesa City Campus, for 'failing to discharge the responsibilities of a private higher education institution'.

The institutions are alleged to have not submitted annual financial statements in 2021 and 2022.

The tertiary institutions are owned by Pinetown-based education provider Educor, which has had financial troubles in the past, particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic when student numbers plummeted. 

It's also experienced difficulties in paying some of its academic staff.

These institutions have been around since the mid-20th century, and are well-known for providing distance based learning. 

The latest debacle could spell the end for these education providers, as it's competitors like Stadio and ADvTECH are thriving in the private education space, reporting higher numbers off the back of increased student enrolments.

Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director of Henley Business School Africa says students would need to be reimbursed who have not received the education they paid for.  

"I'm really sorry for the students, they're the people suffering here. They paid their money. They're on courses. They thought they had a good organisation,"

- Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director - Henley Business School Africa

"It hasn't done the basic things that an organisation has to do to maintain its compliance, and that is fundamental housekeeping."

- Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director - Henley Business School Africa

"On one level, it might be a cleaning out of the old order as it were, the people who are not managing well, and being replaced by people who really can, and that's good news."

- Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director - Henley Business School Africa

"...on the other hand, it's a tragic story for these students, and we have to do everything we can to help them find places."

- Professor Jon Foster-Pedley, Dean and director - Henley Business School Africa

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