The designation of the Council on Higher Education (CHE) as the Quality Council (QC) for Higher Education by the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act of 2008 (Act No 67 of 2008) has broadened the functions of the CHE to include, amongst others, the development of higher education qualification standards, which will influence policy and criteria for the registration and publication of qualifications. In order to give effect to the latter, the CHE has developed a document, a Framework for Qualification Standards in Higher Education, which was released in December 2011 for consultation purposes.

By March 2012, 26 submissions were received, from public and private higher education institutions, professional bodies, and tertiary staff associations. A summary of extracts from these submissions, together with the most important questions and concerns raised and the CHE's interim responses to them, are included in Summary of submissions received and CHE responses, June 2012. The Directorate is currently engaged in re-drafting the Framework, taking into account issues and recommendations from those submissions. A second draft of the Framework will be made available shortly.

Following the publication of the first draft, receipt of comments from parties in the higher education sector, responses by the CHE to those comments, and finalization of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework, a second draft of the Framework has been completed. If there are further suggestions for improvement that you would like to propose, please send them to the Senior Manager, Standards Development, Olivia Mokgatle Mokgatle.O@che.ac.za by the end of February 2013.