Premised on their commitment to uphold and strengthen ethical standards within the teaching profession through strong partnerships, the South African Council of Educators (SACE) in collaboration with the DBE, convened a two-day workshop in Centurion, Pretoria, from 18 to 19 March 2026, to advance this shared commitment.
Participants included the Quality Learning and Teaching Campaign’s (QLTC) Provincial and Districts Coordinators, officials from the office of the MEC for Education, senior officials from all nine provinces and various other partners. The engagement created a platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing, and the development of coordinated strategies aimed at strengthening the education system. Mr Jabu Hlakula, Director of QLTC at the DBE, highlighted that the workshop was part of efforts to strengthen foundations for a resilient and future-ready education system.
The sessions focused on the following objectives as a foundation and cornerstone for cohesive collaboration: Identifying areas of collaboration; Fostering partnerships; Formulating strategies for effective outreach; Developing a framework to guide the alignment and execution of QLTC initiatives and integrated implementation plan; and Creating of a platform for knowledge sharing and enabling the dissemination and exchange of best practices, insights and experiences amongst stakeholders.
The presentation rendered by Ms Tuzana Sophethe, Acting Head, Professional Development and Ethics at SACE, focused on the SACE Framework for collaboration with stakeholders, with a strong emphasis on ethics and professional development within the education sector. She highlighted the strengthening of stakeholder collaboration and building sustainable partnerships with key stakeholders, including the business sector. The ethical and moral conduct should also find expression with communities as part of the ecosystem of education; hence education is being referred to as a societal matter. She indicated that QLTC needs to unlock resources and solicit support from all interested parties, including Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Trust Foundations and Business. Business could play a role in incentivizing and supporting teachers and learners through awards and recognition of performance. She further emphasized collaboration with teacher unions, School Governing Bodies (SGB’s) and provincial departments, and underscored an agreement signed with teacher unions.
The workshop also featured presentations from Provincial QLTC Coordinators, who outlined work being carried out across their respective provinces, whilst sharing best practice. The presentations showed that there is considerable progress, highlighting significant strides made in advancing the priorities and programmes of Government using the QLTC as an anchor in communities and schools.
Mr Sandile Ntshalintshali from SACE reflected on mandates focusing on ethical relationships. He accentuated common contraventions at the heart of SACE professional ethics such as sexual harassment and corporal punishment by educators and referenced relevant legislation that governs such serious misconduct. He noted that breaches can lead to significant sanctions, including the removal of educators from the official SACE registers and hence forfeiting the profession as educators.
The workshop concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthen collaboration, as stakeholders agreed to consolidate provincial presentations, incorporating SACE’S plan of action into an integrated plan. In closing, Mr Hlakula expressed his gratitude to SACE, noting that further engagements will follow, collectively developing an implementation plan. The plan will be instrumental in guiding the joint implementation of initiatives between SACE and the QLTC. The meeting resolved that a follow-up session between the offices of the two entities should be prioritised.