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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.

News Archive

Prof Jonathan Jansen steps down as UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector

2016-05-16

Statement by Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS (pdf)

Statement by Judge Ian van der Merwe, Chairperson: UFS Council

Prof Jonathan Jansen will step down as Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the University of the Free State (UFS) on 31 August 2016.

He will take up an invitation as a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University in the USA in September 2016. The fellowship, which was awarded to him earlier this year, is an opportunity for him to further advance his career as an internationally renowned academic in education. Prof Jansen’s departure is a great loss for the university, but the Council accepts his decision to step down and pursue his academic career as well as other opportunities.

The Council is grateful for the vision and the inspirational leadership that Prof Jansen provided during his tenure at the UFS. He has led the university through difficult and complex times – from after the Reitz incident up until the recent student protest actions. He brought stability and respect for the university – nationally as well as internationally.

The Council appreciates Prof Jansen’s drive to further the academic performance and transformation of the UFS. To this end he was instrumental in the improvement of student success and graduation rates, the increase in the percentage of academic staff with doctoral qualifications, the increase in research outputs, the growth in staff diversity, and the growth in third-stream income.

Furthermore, Prof Jansen played a significant part in developing the UFS as a place where the embrace of diversity and the integration of the university provide a backdrop for academic excellence. Under his leadership, the UFS made great strides in fulfilling its social responsibility to serve the community. He was the right leader at the right time for the university.

On behalf of the Council and the entire university community, I thank him for his contributions as a capable, energetic and dedicated leader and wish him the best for his future.

Prof Jansen was appointed as Vice-Chancellor and Rector on 1 July 2009 and his term of office was extended for another five years by the Council on 1 July 2014.

In the event that the position is not filled by the end of August 2016, Prof Nicky Morgan, current Vice-Rector: Operations at the UFS, will act as Vice-Chancellor and Rector. The Council will shortly start the process to appoint a successor through a national and international search.

Released by: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27(0)51 401 3422/2707 or +27(0)83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27(0)51 444 6393

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