National Alternate Education Registration Framework
Regulatory Framework for Alternate Education Providers in South Africa
About NAERF
NAERF supports the formal registration of learners and the structured compliance of centres operating outside the National Curriculum (CAPS). Our mission is to ensure learners enrolled in alternative, international, hybrid, online, and non-traditional education pathways are properly registered, safeguarded, and accounted for within a structured national system.
Whether a learner is enrolled in Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, Oxford International, Montessori, Waldorf, GED, or another recognised alternate curriculum, NAERF provides a framework that strengthens legitimacy, promotes transparency, and safeguards educational standards.
NAERF does not replace the Department of Basic Education (DBE) for learners following CAPS. Instead, we provide a parallel registration framework for alternate education pathways.
Our Services
Supporting learners and schools with trusted registration and compliance.
Learner Support
Guiding individual learners through registration for alternative curricula.
School Compliance
Ensuring institutions meet national standards and regulatory benchmarks.
Providing clear frameworks for responsible alternative education delivery.
Standards Guidance
Our purpose
South Africa’s education landscape is increasingly diverse, with many learners following international curricula or alternate educational models that better suit their academic needs, learning styles, neurodiversity, or personal circumstances. Not every learner thrives in the mainstream school environment, and NAERF provides a structured framework to ensure these learners are recognised, supported, and safeguarded within South Africa’s national education ecosystem.
With this growth comes responsibility. Alternate education must be:
Structured
Governed
Accountable
Academically sound
NAERF provides a credible national framework that acknowledges diverse pathways while ensuring learners are not invisible within the broader education system.
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