LEARNING CURVE: Online schools are growing faster than South Africa’s rules
South Africa’s online schools offer pupils a route to the National Senior Certificate, but the sector has no dedicated regulatory framework. As the government works on new rules, Umalusi has introduced interim requirements to protect the credibility of matric.
South African online schools are experiencing rapid growth but operate in a regulatory grey area due to the lack of a dedicated regulatory framework. Umalusi, the national accreditation and quality assurance body, has introduced interim requirements to safeguard the credibility of matric qualifications offered through online platforms.
These interim rules mandate that candidates from online schools and distance-education providers must write their National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations in person at registered centres in South Africa. Assessment bodies are responsible for setting criteria for registering providers, reporting decisions to Umalusi, and ensuring that providers offer the National Curriculum Statement in grades 10 to 12.
Additionally, Grade 12 candidates must have passed grades 10 and 11. The interim requirements also stipulate that no additional online schools may be registered until online education is formally regulated, with only those submitted to Umalusi in 2025 allowed. Despite these interim measures, the sector continues to grapple with regulatory uncertainty, which could leave families unsure about the classification, registration, and quality assurance of online providers.
Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
