Educare: NATED N6 National Diploma

An N6 Educare is a National Qualification (NATED). It can be one of these qualifications:

1. N6 National Certificate
2. N6 National Diploma

N6 National Certificate

An N6 National Certificate is a qualification that was designed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). This qualification can only be awarded to you by the DHET. You also do not have to complete the practical component of this course to get the N6 National Certificate. You do however need to complete the first two courses which are the N4 National Certificate and the N5 National Certificate.

* The N6 National Certificate qualification is at NQF Level 5

What Can I Do With An N6 National Certificate?

Here is what you can do after you have completed your Educare: NATED N6 National Certificate:

• Find employment. Here is what you can apply for:
• Au pairing
• Babysitting
• Day Care Administrator
• Day Care Manager
• Early Childhood Development Teacher
• Educare Facilitator
• Educare Teacher
• Nanny
• Nursery School Assistant Teacher
• Nursery Teacher
• Complete your 18 months of work experience and get your N6 National Diploma
• Further your studies at Matric College and complete another National Qualification

N6 National Diploma

An N6 National Diploma is a qualification that was designed by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). This qualification can only be awarded to you by the DHET.

For the N6 National Diploma, you have to complete the practical component of this course to get the N6 National Diploma. You also have to complete the first three courses which are the N4 National Certificate, N5 National Certificate, and the N6 National Certificate.

*This qualification is at an NQF Level 6

What Can I Do With An N6 National Diploma?

Here is what you can do after you have completed your Educare: NATED N6 National Diploma:

• Find employment
• Au pairing
• Babysitting
• Day Care Administrator
• Day Care Manager
• Early Childhood Development Teacher
• Educare Facilitator
• Educare Teacher
• Nanny
• Nursery School Assistant Teacher
• Nursery Teacher
• Further your studies at Matric College and complete another National Qualification

An Educare National Qualification is awarded to students who complete the Educare NATED Programme. 

This qualification was designed by the Department of Higher Education and Training and is accredited by the QCTO (Quality Council for Trades and Occupations). In each National Qualification, students get both the practical and theoretical knowledge they need to start working.

Yes, Educare courses are accredited and recognised by employers and even some universities. All of our Educare National Qualifications are designed by the Department of Higher Education and Training. These qualifications are both practical and theoretical. This means that once students have completed any of our National Qualifications (NATED) courses, they are work-ready. Our Educare courses are accredited by:

• The Department of Higher Education and Training
• The Quality Council of Trades and Occupations

No, Educare is not the same as Early Childhood Development (ECD). General child daycare courses or Educare courses provide students with the necessary skills to “teach” children in a less formal setting. These settings include child daycare centres or créches. 

Students that have studied accredited Educare courses can become assistants to Grade R Teachers but cannot teach Grade R learners.

No, you cannot become a teacher with an N6 Educare but you can become a Grade R Teachers Assistant. Here are the qualifications you need to become a Teacher:

• Diploma in Grade R Teaching (NQF Level 6)
• Bachelor of Primary Education in Early Childhood Development (NQF Level 7)
• Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood Development – Foundation Phase (NQF Level 7)
• You can also complete a (PGCE) Postgraduate Certificate in Education. This course can only be completed if you already have a Bachelor’s Degree in any other field of study.

You cannot teach any Grade with an Educare Diploma. You can only “teach” young children between the ages of 0 to 5 years old. Teaching approaches vary based on the age of the children. Here is a list of the various age groups and the associated responsibilities:

• 3 to 12 months
• 12 to 24 months and 18 to 24
• 2 to 3-year-old
• 3 to 4 years old
• 4 to 5 years old

No, you cannot apply to a university with an N6 National Diploma Qualification or an N6 National Certificate Qualification. Remember that some universities will not accept your application for a Degree course or a Diploma course.

It is important to research universities before applying because you might gain entry to the university but not for the course you wish to complete.

This depends on the career you choose. Both courses can be beneficial, certain courses need a certain level of education to start a career. For example, if you want to become a Doctor, you have to complete a Degree course. Now, let us look at this from an Educare point of view.

If you want to be a Child Day Care Administrator, you only have to complete an N6 Educare Diploma course but you could also become a Child Day Care Assistant Administrator with an Educare: NATED N6 National Certificate.

*The employer decides if they want to employ you.

Here are the top three things to do with your N6 National Diploma in Educare:

• Au Pair
• Babysitting
• Child daycare administration

Au Pair

If you are interested in living and working abroad, then this is an option for you. When you are doing Au Pair work abroad, you will have the following duties:

• Children’s Morning Routine: Assist the children to prepare for school. These duties include getting dressed and preparing for the day.
• Preparing Meals For Children: This includes preparing meals for school as well as snacks and meals for after school.
• Transport Arrangements: You will take the children to and from school. You will also take them to other activities such as sporting events. This means that one of the requirements is a driver’s license.
• Do The Laundry: You have to wash and fold the children’s laundry. Depending on the activity of the children, you and the parents will agree if you will do it daily or weekly.
• Cleaning The Children’s Rooms: If the children are young, you will clean their rooms or show them how to clean their rooms. In certain cases, parents want you to clean the rooms of the children regardless of their age. This is a discussion you will have with the parents beforehand.
• Playtime / Gametime: Once again, this depends on the age and a discussion with the parents. You have to engage in fun activities such as games.
• Assist With Homework: If the children get homework and need assistance, you can help them where you can. If students need extra help, you will inform the parents.
• Children’s Bedtime Routine: Once it is time for the children to go to bed, you will assist with preparing them for bed. This includes running bath water as well as helping the children get dressed.

To apply for an Au Pair position abroad you can use an agency or you can speak to the parents directly. Here are some places you can apply for an Au Pair position:

• Au pair jobs abroad
• AuPairWorld

Au pair work can also be done locally and sometimes has different responsibilities than Au Pairs that work abroad. These duties can include all of the above but you can also expect the following:

• Transport For Different Activities: Some parents only need an Au Pair to drive their children to and from school. They also include duties such as taking the children to extra-mural activities such as soccer or ballet practice, even tutor assistance.
• Tutor Assistance: Some children need extra assistance with certain subjects and some parents only require Au Pairs for this particular duty. They will sometimes even request that Au Pairs fetch them from school and prepare a meal for their child or children.
• Keeping The Children Entertained: Sometimes parents only want to hire Au Pairs to entertain their children while they go away for a weekend or away for an evening. Parents will even hire Au Pair workers for an entire evening at an event being held by them.

To apply for an Au Pair job locally you can also apply through an agency or you can speak to parents directly. Here are some places you can apply for an Au Pair position:

• Au pair at home
• Au pair.com

Babysitting

This type of work is usually in an informal setting and is temporary (for a couple of hours, a night, or over a weekend). This is typically seen as a job for a teenager BUT can be turned into a profitable business.

A Babysitter looks after children and makes sure that they are bathed, dressed, are ready for bedtime, fed, and kept entertained until the parents arrive. You can have the children at your own place or you can take care of them at the parent’s place.

You can find babysitting jobs here:

• WeSit
• Find a babysitter

Child Day Care Administrators

Child Day Care Administrators can have multiple duties. This can include the following duties:

• Administrative Tasks: Such as listening, reporting, and documenting parent complaints, financial reports, and compliance reports.
• Healthy Environment: Make sure that the daycare facility is a clean, safe and healthy environment. This ensures the safety of the children.
• Background Checks: These checks include everything from criminal checks to training or qualification checks. Once again this ensures that the children are safe and get quality learning.
• Budgets And Finances: Child Daycare Administrators also make sure that the business is adhering to the budget of the business. They also make sure that the finances are distributed evenly.