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UFS pioneers student teacher registration with SACE, setting national standard

01 July 2025 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied

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.

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Alumni inspired to keep flying the Kovsie flag high at reunion weekend festivities

2015-09-01

Dr Khotso Mokhele and Adv Roelf Meyer

The University of the Free State hosted alumni from all over the country on the Bloemfontein Campus during a weekend of exciting events, talks, and tours around the campus on 28 and 29 August 2015.

The celebratory events were kick-started with a leadership symposium hosted by Dr Marcus Ingram, Director: Institutional Advancement with Adv Roelf Meyer. The symposium was attended by current student leaders and the SRC Presidents Alumni Association. In his dialogue with the audience, Adv Meyer shared his experiences and personal growth in the process of bringing about democracy in the country with student leaders as change agents. “If you really want to contribute to change, it is not only an intellectual exercise; it is also a heart and soul thing,” he said.

The anchor event was the inaugural Chancellor’s Distinguished Alumnus Award Luncheon hosted by Chancellor, Dr Khotso Mokhele. Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector, welcomed guests by highlighting the latest extraordinary achievements of UFS students and academic staff.

Keynote speaker of the day, Ms Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, Executive Director of Inyathelo and a renowned politician, spoke of the role that universities have in preparing women for leadership roles and how they, in turn, can prepare society for female leadership. She commended the UFS’s advancement efforts supported by the Kresge Foundation, which supports young people, to keep them in universities. “I am proud to say that the UFS’s efforts in advancement have achieved its goals.”

In his remarks, Dr Mokhele said “what draws a student back to his/her Alma Mater is the quality of the experience they had on campus. This campus contributed to the transformation of this country through alumni such as Roelf Meyer and Kobie Coetsee.” He said this initiative should create a lived experience for students on the university campus. The Chancellor presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Adv Roelf Meyer, for his outstanding contributions to the human interests of South Africa, and his current work of facilitating peace processes around the world.

In accepting the award, Adv Meyer introduced Youth Zones, a project which he has been involved with for the past five years, empowering and supporting 40,000 youths in the Free State. In accepting the award, he said “I was a first-year student in 1960, my year group represented the most emphatic group of this university. There are many who came before and after us who well deserve this award, therefore, I accept it on behalf of all alumni.”

To wrap up the weekend’s festivities, former SRC President, Richard Chemaly, hosted the Faculty of Law alumni cocktail event at the CR Swart Auditorium.
Speaking at the event, Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, said “A faculty cannot exist without its alumni, we need you to carry us. Your continued support and collaboration is truly appreciated.”

Alumni and staff enjoyed further entertainment by well-known musical groups, Freshly-Ground and The Muses.

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