In a marathon graduation, running into five sessions, more than 11 000 students received degrees, diplomas and certificates during the graduation ceremony of the University of South Africa (Unisa) which took place in the Jack Botes Hall in Polokwane at the weekend.

Those who graduated were from Vhembe and the northeastern region, which covers the whole of Limpopo and the Mpumalanga province.

Addressing the event, Prof Barney Pityana, Vice-chancellor and principal of Unisa, urged parents and students to choose reputable educational institutions and avoid enrolling at fly-by-night academic centres. His call comes amidst the spiraling number of non-registered colleges all over the country.

Pityana said South African higher education was amongst the best in the world but was being tainted by the prevalence of the non-registered colleges that have become the "in" thing. He also called upon all institutions of higher learning to maintain the required high standards.

A total of 4 499 bachelor degrees, 2 320 honours degrees, 507 masters degrees and 35 doctorates and 4 797 diplomas were conferred during the ceremonies.

Unisa’s deputy executive dean, Prof André Kritzinger, said education was a journey, not a destination. He urged all to contribute towards the national skills shortages, mentioning power losses as one of the problem areas. "We need to contribute to the alleviation of the national skills shortage by working and assisting international agencies in fostering international standards." He said the recent power cuts were a source of great concern which, if not addressed as a matter of urgency, would result in the loss of business and jobs which will affect the country´s economy. He called on all to conserve water as it will be the next endangered commodity if not properly looked after.