As the class of 2025 continues with their final matric examinations, another annual ritual is playing out in the shadows — that of college scammers perfecting their tricks to lure unsuspecting students and trick desperate parents. These fly-by-night institutions, often promising quick qualifications and easy access to universities, are not new to SA’s education landscape. Since decades, they have prospered by feeding off those who believe that education is a route out of poverty. Despite countless warnings and government pledges to clamp down on them, the problem persists — and, disturbingly, it is growing.Our lead story today exposes a shocking new dimension to this old problem. A Soweto-based institution, the Kavod Institute of Excellence, which has been operating as a matric rewrite centre, has reportedly failed to register 190 of its learners for this year’s National Senior Certificate examinations. Parents of these students who paid R450 per month for the past two months have been cruelly denied their right to write exams. Even worse, the school’s management admits it knew of the registration failure but chose to remain silent, fearing a social media backlash rather than prioritising the futures of its students.Stronger regulation, regular inspections, and harsher penalties for offenders are urgently needed.— SowetanWhat makes this case particularly disheartening is that it isn’t the first time such an incident has occurred at Kavod. A parent said that 350 students had suffered the same fate in 2023. In spite of this, she and many other parents in Soweto continue to send their kids to this centre. This highlights a case of how desperation, misinformation and misplaced trust can override caution.The continued existence of these fake academies stains our country’s image and undermines faith in the education system. We urgently need stronger regulation, regular inspections, and harsher punishments for offenders. But equally important is community awareness — for every scam thrives on ignorance.As 2025 draws to a close, let this be the year SA finally says enough is enough. The business of exploiting young people’s aspirations for financial gain by unscrupulous college operators must end and real education must prevail.Sowetan
2025-10-27 06:53:08
Close fake colleges once and for all
