The British Accreditation Council is an independent authority in the UK that accredits private providers there and in other countries including Greece, Switzerland, Singapore, India, Mauritius and the United Arab Emirates.
The BAC accreditation represents a major feather in the cap for the private higher education sector in the country in general, as it is an objective confirmation that world-class standards are indeed attainable at private institutions. Additionally, studying at a private institution should become a viable consideration for many more prospective students in future.
"This important achievement demonstrates to our students and staff that our standards are indeed world class; it also provides great direction for further development of our work and ensures that students can be confident about the value of their qualifications," says Dr Felicity Coughlan, director of the Independent Institute of Education (The IIE).
The IIE, which has a long history in education and training, offers a wide range of qualifications, from post-graduate degrees to short courses, on 20 campuses across SA. Through its brands, including Rosebank College, Varsity College, DSSA and Vega, The IIE is known for producing technically proficient, workplace-ready graduates.
"The IIE is the only South African private higher education provider which carries the BAC accreditation at this time, and we are very proud of reaching this significant milestone. Not just for ourselves, but for the sector as a whole. Within the challenging context of higher education in our country, it is important that private higher education providers are able to confidently and competently offer options to matriculants to further their studies at campuses other than public universities.
"While the important role of private higher education is globally recognised, our country has unfortunately lagged in terms of the realisation of the major impact this sector has on improving access to education, and educational outcomes. We hope that the BAC accreditation will go some way towards remedying this disjunction."
"They are now independently assured that when we say our standards are internationally comparable, they really are".
