SANTS Private Higher Education InstitutionSANTS

SANTS Private Higher Education Institution is a private provider that trains teachers and early childhood practitioners. It is registered with the Department of Higher Education and Training under the Higher Education Act of 1997, with registration number 2012/HE07/003, and each of its qualifications carries its own accreditation number from the Council on Higher Education.

The institution started out on 17 November 1997. By 2001 it had widened its offerings and was working with provincial education departments, and in 2012 it became a registered higher education institution focused on initial teacher education. It says it has produced more than 9 000 teacher graduates since 2012.

SANTS teaches entirely by distance learning, backed by online support, so students do not attend a campus. The model is aimed at people who already work full-time or have other commitments, and the institution says it pays particular attention to students in rural areas and offers its programmes in more than one language. Its office is in Waterkloof Glen, Pretoria.

Four qualifications are offered, all in education. The Higher Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education is a one-year NQF level 5 programme for people who want to work as early childhood development practitioners. The Diploma in Grade R Teaching is a three-year NQF level 6 qualification recognised for employment at REQV 13. Two four-year Bachelor of Education degrees at NQF level 7, one for the Foundation Phase and one for the Intermediate Phase, are recognised at REQV 14.

There are two intakes each year, in January and July. Applications for January close on 31 October of the year before, and applications for July close on 31 May.

Entry requirements differ by qualification. The higher certificate accepts a National Senior Certificate, Senior Certificate, NASCA or NC(V) Level 4, and applicants must also supply a police clearance certificate. The two degrees ask for a bachelor pass with at least 50% in the home language and 40% in English First Additional Language, and they also list NC(V), NPDE and recognition of prior learning routes. Holders of the Grade R diploma can move credits into the Foundation Phase degree.

Tuition can be paid in two semester instalments or ten monthly instalments, on top of an annual registration fee. The institution also lists third-party study loan providers and a cash payment service for families without a bank account, and it helps students with paperwork for outside bursaries.