The 2023 academic year got off to a grand start; with us able to welcome our students in-person, on campus, after three years of not being able to do so. It is a great feeling and sight to observe students decorating the corridors of our buildings, lawns and gardens together with the inside of our lecture halls.

The Faculty welcomed a record of 1671 first year students to the Faculty. This represents 204 extra students against a set target of 1462. While this can be celebrated as an indication of the popularity of our education programs, there is a need for caution as these numbers put a strain on our staff as their workload is increased and also on the infrastructure which was not made for the number of students we have admitted. With a consistent meeting of and exceeding of our set targets over the last few years and the growth in the number of the distance education unit, the Faculty of Education has now overtaken EBIT and is the largest at the University of Pretoria.

The more students the Faculty enrols, means that there will be more responsibilities on student support; both academically and socially to ensure that they succeed. In this regard, the work of the Academic Student Advisors in the Student Engagement and Support Office (SESO), continues to do a sterling job in providing curricula and extra-curricular support to ensure that the students who enter the university, complete their studies in the minimum time possible and leave the university with qualifications.

The SESO was able to distribute more than 4000 food parcels in 2022 to students in the Faculty; and some from other Faculties in the University, as they waited for their NSFAS pay-outs; together with students without financial aid. We were able to successfully assist 15 (13 undergraduate and 2 international postgraduate) students with annual accommodation at accredited accommodation outlets near the university. This category of students could not receive any financial assistance, while some could not get placement in the official University residences.

There is a growing number of international students in distress and the Faculty also takes care of some of their needs. We will continue, as far as it is possible, to assist our undergraduate students to ‘Fly@UP’ and our postgraduate students to ‘FlyHigher@UP’.

At the staff welcome tea, we celebrated both staff promotions as well as handed over the long service awards. Again, we would like to congratulate our 5 colleagues Dr Susan Thuketana, Dr Joyce West from the Department of Early Childhood Education: Dr Yolandi Woest, Dr Delene Human, Dr Annelise du Plessis-de Beer from the Department of Humanities, for their promotions to the levels of Senior Lecturer. Similarly, we congratulate Professor Clinton van der Merwe for promotion to the level of Associate Professor. From the Department of Science, Maths and Technology Education we congratulate Professors Marien Graham and Prof Ugorji Ogbonnaya; and Professor Funke Omidire from the Department of Education Psychology, for their promotion to the level of Full Professor.

Our academics continue to make good progress in their careers and to receive national recognition by the National Research Foundation in terms of their ratings. In this regard, we congratulate the rating of Professor Thiru Vandeyar C2 rating, the re-rating of Professor Saloshna Vandeyar, C1 rating, Professor Johan Engelbrecht B3 rating, Professor Irma Eloff B2 rating, and Professor Kobus Maree for his B1 rating. Thank you, colleagues, for making us proud!

At the beginning of the year, we also acknowledged the long service colleagues have rendered to the Faculty which ranged from 00 years to 35 years. We want to acknowledge and congratulate Ms. Thandi Mngomezulu for the 35 years’ service to the University of Pretoria.

The Faculty is celebrating 86 years this year and she is able to show her experience in her core function of developing future teachers and retraining those in service. We take our brand very seriously and would like to remain the ‘Faculty of Choice’ where staff and students feel welcome and have their career aspirations nurtured.