Media Statement: Towards Excellence In Education

Media Statement

Towards Excellence In Education 

03 December 2014

SACE operates in terms of the SACE Act (No 31 of 2000) as amended by the BELA Act (Basic Laws Amendment Act (No15 of 2011).

SACE primary functions are:

1)       To register all educators as per minimum Council criteria;

2)      To manage the Continuing Professional Teacher Development (CPTD) system, establish & maintain professional standards; and

3)      To safeguard adherence to the Teachers’ Code of Ethics.

The Council of 30 members and is chaired by Ms Veronica Hofmeester, directs Council’s policy. Their four year term of office ends in July 2017. The CEO of SACE, Rej Brijraj, manages a staff of almost 100 employees who administer Council’s mandates, under the supervision of the Executive Committee.

The Council met on 19 November 2014 and finalized the year’s business as follows:

1)       SACE received 346 complaints against educators since April. 270 investigations, 50 hearings and 3 mediations were conducted. 31 educators were struck off the roll indefinitely. 161 advisory letters were sent out. Most of the complaints involved corporal punishment, sexual abuse and assault between colleagues, in that order.

The backlogs of (approx 400) cases from the previous year are also being cleared, and by the end of the financial year, SACE will be dealing with current complaints. SACE now tracks sanctions to ensure compliance, including submissions to the Dept. of Social Services.

2)      SACE registered 21591 educators. 6110 were granted full registration, and 15481 were provisionally registered, of which 2248 were foreign nationals. SACE administers a thorough screenings regime to ensure that undesirable elements do not enter the profession. The office is busy updating, validating & categorizing the register.

3)      It is now compulsory for educators to obtain 150 CPTD points in a 3-year cycle. The cycle for Principals and Deputies started this year, Heads of Departments next year and for the teachers in 2016. Council’s review in 2019 will pronounce on incentives and sanctions. Council has agreed to set and implement professional standards in 2015.

4)      Council now has a fully fledged Public Relations Division that oversees:

• SACE call centre;
• Teacher Assistant Facility;
• Interactions with schools, stakeholders, Portfolio Committee and partners in Education;
• African and International Relations;
• Teacher well-being;
• Media Interactions;
• Electronic Communication; and
• Publications.

5)      Council directed that SACE purchase its own building with the reserve fund of R60m set aside for this purpose. Nine Provincial co-ordinators have been appointed to facilitate SACE work in the provinces. SACE will open provincial offices in Durban and Bloemfontein by the middle of next year in a quest to extend its footprint.

SACE will be 20 years old next year. The first 10 was spent on advocacy and the past 10 on fulfilling initial mandates. The next 10 will ensure that SACE is in control of the teaching profession.

Issued by South African Council for Educators

Enquiries: Mr Thembinkosi Ndhlovu, 071 606 3311

pr@sace.org.za/ thembinkosindhlovu@gmail.com