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The founding meeting of the South African Council of Educators (SACE), a national body for the professional registration of educators, will be held on Thursday, September 28, 1995 in Pretoria.

The Council will have the capacity to establish criteria for entry into the teaching profession and to establish a code of conduct for educators. It will also have the capacity to enforce the criteria and the code of conduct.

Along with appointments made by the Minister of Education, the Council will draw its members from appointments made by the teachers' organisations and unions represented in the Education Labour Relations Council.

One of the first items for business at the founding meeting will be to enlarge the Council. Employee representation will be enlarged from ten to fifteen each from SADTU and NAPTOSA, while the Minister of Education will make fifteen appointments instead of ten. The Minister's appointments will include representatives from provincial education departments.

Among others, SACE will have the powers and functions to -

establish minimum criteria for professional registration of provisional registration of educators at schools and colleges of education;
keep a register of educators;
establish a professional code of conduct;
establish a fair and equitable disciplinary enquiry procedure and appoint a disciplinary committee of the Council; and
determine the nature and extent of disciplinary measures that may be taken against any educator found guilty of a breach of the code of conduct, including an order that his or her name be struck from the register.

The launching ceremony for the South African Council of Educators will be held at 14:00 on September 28, 1995, in the auditorium of the Pretoria College of Education in Leyds Street, Groenkloof. Representatives of the media will be invited to attend this ceremony.

The welcome will be conducted by Dr Rolf Stumpf, Chairperson of the Education Labour Relations Council. Dr Chabani Manganyi, Director-General of Education, will introduce Professor Sibusiso Bengu, Minister of Education, as guest speaker.

The first formal meeting of the SACE will go into session at 15:30. This meeting will not be open to the media.

Issued on behalf of the Minister of Education.

For further information, please telephone Mr Lincoln Mali:
(012) 326-0126
083 251 4044