Dental technology students at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) are expressing distress as an ongoing accreditation dispute with the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC) continues to drag on. The 42 students, who were at the forefront of protests earlier this year, say they feel abandoned after agreeing to allow graduations to proceed in the hope that progress would follow.
According to the students, they are “not doing well at all” and are stuck in an escalating legal battle over accreditation, with universities and the SADTC now headed to court. The students claim that while they are aware of the legal action launched by universities, it has done little to ease their uncertainty, with some expressing concern about delays in the court process.
Accreditation Dispute
The dispute centers around the SADTC’s examination framework, which the universities claim is “unfair and unilaterally imposed.” The universities, including CPUT, the Durban University of Technology, and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), have launched an application in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, to resolve the impasse. They are seeking court orders to set aside the examination framework and to compel the SADTC to register 159 “pipeline students” who completed their qualifications before 2022.
Impact on Students
The students are bearing the brunt of the dispute, with many feeling uncertain about their future. “Not well at all… most of us are just sitting here at res with no communication from the university and no updates too,” one student said. The students are concerned about the impact of the dispute on their careers and the oral healthcare system in South Africa. As noted on the Department of Health website, the country is already facing a shortage of dental technicians.
The SADTC has made it clear that it will oppose the application and is not changing its position. “We have instructed our legal team to oppose and deal with the matter accordingly,” the council said. The regulator maintains that its role, as defined by law, is to regulate education and training in the field and to ensure that standards are upheld.
Here are some key facts about the dispute:
- 42 CPUT dental technology students are affected by the dispute
- 3 universities, including CPUT, the Durban University of Technology, and TUT, have launched a court application
- The universities are seeking to set aside the SADTC’s examination framework and register 159 “pipeline students”
- The dispute has been ongoing since 2019
