Ministers to meet over CPUT dental accreditation crisis

DEPARTMENT of Higher Education and Training (DHET) Deputy Minister Nomusa Dube-Ncube is expected to meet with Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi today over the accreditation crisis affecting dental students at Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT).

The DHET said a solution is being sought at the highest levels amid the ongoing standoff between CPUT and the South African Dental Technicians Council (SADTC).

The SADTC said the CPUT programme is currently suspended, citing historical failures and infrastructure issues.

Department spokesperson Matshepo Seedat said: “Deputy Minister Dube Ncube will meet with the Minister of Health on the matter. The department will update after the meeting.”

She explained that the situation is complex, involving multiple stakeholders.

“It has been important for the department to hear from all stakeholders as it is a multi-stakeholder issue.

“While there is not yet a solution, the point of the meeting is to find a solution that will assist clarity and progress for students and institutions. We are hoping a solution will come through,” she said.

Seedat also confirmed that the dispute is not unique to CPUT, affecting students at Durban University of Technology and Tshwane University of Technology as well.

“After the meeting, we will communicate with everyone involved,” she said.

CPUT spokesperson Lauren Kansley said: “It has now been three years since CPUT has been able to enrol students in this critical skill, despite doing multiple engagements with the SADTC to ensure the continuation of the programme.

The current issues affect only 42 dental technology students who are already in the pipeline and moving towards graduation.”

“Despite the SADTC’s claims that they have ‘suspended’ the programme, we want to be clear that Dental Technology remains an accredited programme by the Council on Higher Education.

“The SADTC is responsible for ensuring the standards of the programme are upheld and should endorse students once they graduate so that they may be employed. They have refused to do the latter,” she said.

She added that the dispute has escalated because the regulator has asserted powers beyond its statutory mandate, demanding involvement in assessments and teaching.

“For the past few years, the SADTC has extended its powers and asserted that they should also participate in CPUT’s administering of assessments and be involved in learning and teaching.

“The university has stressed that this is not the function of the oversight stakeholder and we have now escalated this matter to ministerial level at the Department of Higher Education and Training as well as to the Department of Health,” Kansley said.

The SADTC said that the Dental Technology programme cannot proceed without its accreditation.

“The Dental Technology programme is currently suspended… we cannot accredit until CPUT agrees to the conditions for accreditation,” the regulator said. It also warned that training in unregistered laboratories could trigger enforcement action, including closure by authorities.