A stakeholder engagement workshop on the drafting of the Policy for School-Based Work Integrated Learning (WIL) was held at the DBE Conference Centre in Pretoria from 9 to 10 March 2026, bringing together key stakeholders in teacher education and development. The engagement formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen the practical training of student teachers through structured school-based experience. The workshop aimed to gather input from universities, provincial education departments, and teacher unions to inform the development of a comprehensive WIL Policy. The policy is intended to guide how student teachers are placed in schools, mentored, supervised and assessed during their teaching practice.
The first day of the engagement focused on establishing the national context for WIL and introducing the key stakeholders involved in teacher education. DBE officials opened the session by outlining the importance of WIL in preparing future teachers. Discussions highlighted the link between teacher education programmes and the practical experiences that student teachers gain in schools. Presentations also addressed the policy and regulatory framework guiding teacher development, the role of partnerships between universities and schools, mentoring and supervision of student teachers, and quality assurance mechanisms in teaching practice.
Participants further engaged in discussions on the linkages between WIL, teacher development policies, and integrated learning frameworks, followed by a session on policy drafting considerations for South Africa.
The second day focused on practical implementation experiences from various institutions and provinces. Universities such as the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the North West University, the University of Mpumalanga and the University of Pretoria presented on how WIL is implemented within their teacher education programmes. These presentations included details on student placement systems, competencies developed during teaching practice, and collaboration with schools.
Provincial Education Departments (PEDs) also shared experiences and data on student teacher placements, including challenges related to Mentor workload, Coordination between universities and schools, Rural and urban placement disparities, and Communication and reporting systems.
Professional and labour stakeholders also contributed to the discussion. The South African Council for Educators outlined professional standards, provisional registration requirements, and ethical expectations for student teachers. Teacher unions, including South African Democratic Teachers Union, National Professional Teachers’ Organisation of South Africa, National Teachers’ Union, Professional Educators Union and South African Teachers’ Union provided insights on improving teaching practice systems in schools and ensuring equitable placement of student teachers.
The third day of the engagement was dedicated to site visits, where participants visited schools to observe practical implementation of teaching practice and WIL processes. These visits aimed to provide stakeholders with first-hand insights into how student teachers are integrated into classroom environments and supported by mentor teachers.
Throughout the engagement, several important areas were identified for inclusion in the policy: Standardised approaches to WIL implementation; Roles and responsibilities of universities and schools; Student support and preparedness; Quality assurance and assessment of teaching practice; Health, safety, and risk management; Equity in rural and urban placements; and Strengthening partnerships between higher education institutions and schools.
The stakeholder engagement marked a significant step towards developing a national WIL Policy that will strengthen teacher training in South Africa. Through collaboration between government, universities, provinces, professional bodies, and teacher unions, the policy aims to ensure that student teachers gain meaningful, well-supported classroom experience before entering the profession.