Message from the Dean: Professor Loyiso Jita

Greetings from the Office of the Dean, Faculty of  Education.

Thank you for visiting our website. The University of the Free State is one of the best places to get your education qualifications, fairly reputable among our peers, employers, alumni, and the general South African public.

The university is located in the central part of South Africa, the Free State, in close proximity to at least 6 of the 8 provinces in the country and bordering our neighboring country of Lesotho. The beauty of the city of roses in Bloemfontein, the historical features of Mangaung, and the pristine surrounds of the Eastern Free State in Qwaqwa create perfect spaces for learning and leisure.

The Faculty of Education is located across three campuses, in Bloemfontein, Mangaung (South Campus), and Qwaqwa. We offer different programmes, both Undergraduate and Postgraduate, and tailored for a diverse group of students, local and international.

At the undergraduate level, the Faculty offers three Programmes, namely; Bachelor of Education (BEd) in Foundation Phase, Intermediate Phase, Senior Phase, and Further Education and Training Phase. These programmes prepare students to become excellent teachers in primary and secondary schools. At the postgraduate level, the faculty offers a Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDiP), Bachelor of Education Honours, Master's in Education (MEd), and Doctor of Philosophy in Education (PhD).

The faculty also offers an opportunity to enroll for Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE). As a faculty, we pride ourselves on our socially relevant teaching and research programmes in education which are facilitated by committed and reputable staff members recruited from all over the world to represent the social and intellectual diversity espoused by the UFS.

To our new students, congratulations and welcome to the Faculty of Education where we strive to educate excellent and caring teachers for the 21st century. We take the ‘ethic of care’ seriously, as the cornerstone of our profession.

Thank you, again, for choosing our university and our faculty to pursue your studies. I know this is an uncertain and unsettling time for many students to explore university life. However, I would like to reassure you that the University of the Free State is ready to welcome you and give you a head start on your career aspirations.

As a faculty, we pride ourselves on our association with excellent educationists and caring scholars; some of the best that South Africa has ever produced. Our faculty offices are housed in the Winkie Direko Building; a place named after one of the great educators of the Free State. Winkie Direko is the late former premier of the Free State. Her ideals, as an educationist, continue to inspire the faculty in its mission of access, excellence, and human dignity.

It is indeed a privilege for me to lead a team of committed teachers and researchers in the Faculty of Education in providing excellent service to our students who have chosen to study with us. I wish to thank the parents of our students for entrusting us with the responsibility of shaping the lives of their children into becoming future teachers, and scholars of our country and the world! Our commitment to all cohorts of students who study with us is: "We will make it very difficult for you not to achieve your goals of becoming great teachers, excellent scholars, and wonderful human beings!"

To friends of the university, at home and abroad, alumni, and prospective students: Winkie Direko is here; for you to come and hang out with us, to teach, learn, and for research, and collaboration.

Thank you, once again!

Prof Loyiso Jita (PhD, Michigan State University)
Dean and SANRAL Chair in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education