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01 July 2025 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied
SACE
Signing of the MoU between SACE and the UFS, which took place at the SACE Head Office in Centurion, Pretoria. Pictured are Prof Loyiso Jita, Dean: Education, and Ella Mokgalane, SACE CEO.

The University of the Free State (UFS) has taken a groundbreaking step in teacher education, becoming the first university in South Africa to facilitate the provisional registration of its student teachers with the South African Council for Educators (SACE) before they embark on their crucial Work Integrated Learning (WIL) phase. This landmark achievement follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the UFS and SACE, solidifying a collaborative commitment to regulatory compliance and professional development for future educators.

 

Direct SACE support for student teachers

In June 2025, SACE representatives, led by Harold Tlomatsana, the Provincial Head for SACE in the Free State Province, conducted a dedicated support visit to the Qwaqwa Campus. The purpose of their visit was to directly assist student teachers in completing their online provisional registration applications. The university's Faculty of Education, through its Teaching Practice Directorate, played a pivotal role in this initiative, graciously providing access to its computer laboratories to ensure a seamless and efficient registration process for all students.

This proactive approach ensures that all UFS student teachers are officially registered with SACE, a vital prerequisite for their upcoming July practice teaching component. It is important to note that this provisional registration is distinct from employment-related functions; rather, it stresses the commitment of both institutions to ensure that all aspiring educators are properly recognised and compliant with national standards before gaining practical experience in classrooms.

The signing of the MOU by Prof Loyiso Jita, Dean of the Faculty of Education, alongside SACE representatives, marks a significant milestone. It not only formalises the partnership but also highlights the UFS' dedication to upholding the highest professional standards in teacher training.

 

A national precedent set

Prof Thuthukile Jita, Director of the Teaching Practice Directorate (TPD), expressed her enthusiasm for this pioneering collaboration. "This initiative is a testament to the hard work and foresight of our team in the Faculty of Education and the TPD office," said Prof Jita. "By partnering with SACE, we are not only streamlining a crucial administrative process for our students but also setting a national precedent for how universities can ensure that their future teachers are fully prepared and compliant with professional regulations from the very outset of their practical training."

The positive impact of this initiative will resonate across all UFS campuses – Bloemfontein, South, and Qwaqwa – stressing the comprehensive reach of the TPD office under Prof Jita's leadership.

 

Formalising a key partnership: a culmination of continued collaboration

The recent signing of the MOU formal agreement representing not only a new beginning, but rather a culmination of robust, continued collaboration between the UFS and SACE. Both institutions have long shared a commitment to ensuring the highest professional standards for future educators. The MOU formalises and strengthens these existing ties, highlighting the UFS' dedication to upholding the highest professional standards in teacher training and streamlining critical processes for its students.

News Archive

UFS welcomes two new deans in the faculties of Theology and Law
2014-08-04

 

The university council has approved the appointment of two deans: Prof Fanie Snyman, at the Faculty of Theology and Prof Caroline Nicholson, at the Faculty of Law.

Both professors offer the university a wealth of knowledge and experience in research and teaching.

Prof Fanie Snyman

Prof Snyman joined the university in 1984 as a senior lecturer in the Department Old Testament. His career followed a steadfast ascent which led him to attaining the title of professor and head of department the following year. On 1 July 2013, Prof Snyman took on the additional role of acting dean of the faculty.

As dean, he set out a clear vision of academic leadership with four primary focus areas: research, teaching and learning, internationalisation and regional engagement.

He is the author of eight books and contributed to seven internationally- and twelve nationally-published books. He has published nine articles in international journals and about 60 more in accredited journals.

Prof Snyman proposes to bring staff members together to extensively rethink and reposition the faculty in terms of identity, transformation and the way forward. “We live in a complex world, characterised by uncertainty and in constant change. This calls for complex but also innovative solutions,” he says.

Prof Caroline Nicholson

Prof Caroline Nicholson was born in Scotland and came to South Africa as a young child. She obtained her BProc and LLB degrees at the University of the Witwatersrand and completed her articles of clerkship at Chernin’s in Hyde Park Corner, Johannesburg. Prof Nicholson was admitted as both an attorney and notary public of the then Supreme Court of South Africa in 1986.

In 1986 she joined the University of South Africa (UNISA ) as a lecturer and remained there until 1999. During this time she completed an LLM in Banking Law and an LLD in Comparative Conflict of Laws – focusing on international parental child abduction. During the same year she moved to the Faculty of Law at the University of Pretoria where she worked for the last fifteen years. In 2003 she completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and has an abiding interest in ADR, especially within the Family Law context.

Prof Nicholson has produced numerous articles and research presentations on a variety of legal subjects. Her primary areas of interest are, however, legal education and child law. She is known both nationally and internationally for her research contributions.

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