MBABANE – Waste of time and money!
This phrase rings true for over 3 000 emaSwati who have, over the years, graduated as teachers but are unemployable. This is because they enrolled in some of the local higher learning institutions without meeting the right requirements for enrolment.
The entry requirement for a teachers Diploma programme in the country is a minimum three credits, two of which are in one’s chosen teaching subjects, plus a credit in English Language and at least three passes.
These are standards set by the Eswatini Qualifications Authority (EQA), which is responsible for the qualifications system in Eswatini. This includes all of the country’s activities that result in the recognition and validation of learning and qualifications.
Qualifications
The qualifications system includes the means of developing and operationalising national or regional policy on qualifications, skills recognition and other mechanisms that link education and training to the labour market and civil society.
At the centre of the country’s qualifications system is the Eswatini Qualifications Framework (ESQF), which serves as a blueprint for the development of education and training programmes, as well as qualifications.
The key responsibilities of the EQA include the development and implementation of the ESQF, registration of qualifications in the ESQF, verification and evaluation of qualifications (local and foreign) and the creation of a database of qualifications awarded in the country to create the much desired trust, recognition of Eswatini qualifications in the SADC region and internationally.
However, some of the local higher learning institutions, which have been approved by the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC) for the 2025 academic year, do not adhere to the standards set by EQA but approve applications of persons who do not meet the minimum entry requirements.
Some of these unemployable teachers enrolled with only two or even one credit, while others had the required minimum credits, but did not have the minimum required passes.
A source told this publication that instead of being rejected as per the standards, the aspiring teachers are advised to restart to attain the required minimum required qualifications while they pursue the tertiary qualifications simultaneously.
Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training, Nanikie Mnisi, revealed that the ministry was aware of this anomaly and she declared that these teachers were indeed unemployable.
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Automatic shutdown for ‘faulty’ tertiary institutions
MBABANE – Consequences for enrolling students whose academic qualifications do not meet the minimum required standards face shutdown.
This was revealed by Ministry of Education and Training Principal Secretary, Nanikie Mnisi.
Mnisi revealed that the consequences for higher learning institutions found wanting on the EQA standards is automatic shutdown. She said the ministry will examine this anomaly and act accordingly.
Worth mentioning is that the Eswatini Higher Education Council (ESHEC) approved 44 higher learning institutions that have registered with it for the 2025 academic year.
These institutions were approved by the council for the current academic year, with some getting the ‘fully registered’ tag, while others were provisionally registered.
To be registered, institutions should meet standards as set out in the Higher Education (General) Regulations of 2016, published in Legal Notice 14 of 2016.
*Full article available in our publication.
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