Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997)

Notice No. 751

11 July 2008

GG 31231

Department of Education

I, Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor, Minister of Education, hereby promulgate the revised policy for the Minimum Admission Requirements for Higher Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor’s Degree Programmes requiring a National Senior Certificate as set out in the Schedule, in terms of section 3 of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997).

The policy will be applicable to all higher education institutions and will be effective from January 2009.

The development of this policy has benefited from extensive discussion and consultation, within and outside of higher education and initiated with the publication of the draft Higher Education Qualifications Framework (2004) and the Policy for the National Senior Certificate. As the National Senior Certificate replaces the Senior Certificate in 2008, it has become necessary for a new policy framework that outlines the entry requirements into higher education. The revisions to the policy were necessitated by a minor amendment to the promotion requirements of the NSC in 2007.

While this policy outlines the statutory minimum admission into higher education as the National Senior Certificate, the setting of the admission requirements is made in terms of section 74 of the Higher Education Act and section 16(7) of the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act by Higher Education South Africa (HESA), being the successor to the South African University Vice-Chancellors Association (SAUVCA) and the Committee of Technikon Principals (CTP). HESA has approved the contents of this policy as the statutory minimum entry requirements to higher education requiring a National Senior Certificate, in terms of section 74 of the Higher Education Act.

G.N.M. Pandor, MP

Minister of Education

Date : 10-06-2008