SACE & Umalusi Annual Performance Plan 2026/27; with Minister and Deputy Minister

Annual Performance Plans (APPs) of Government Departments and Entities The Portfolio Committee on Basic Education met to receive briefings from the South African Council for Educators (SACE) and Umalusi on their 2026/27 Strategic and Annual Performance Plans. The meeting was attended by the Department of Basic Education, including the Minister and Deputy Minister. The Minister emphasised that SACE and Umalusi occupied critical positions within the education sector and that their Annual Performance Plans should be treated as instruments of delivery, accountability and public confidence, rather than mere compliance exercises. The Minister highlighted the need to strengthen educator professionalism and ethics, improve teacher development, accelerate the handling of misconduct matters, and maintain the integrity and credibility of examinations and qualifications. Umalusi outlined its strategic priorities, including the review of qualifications within the General and Further Education and Training Qualifications Sub-Framework, improving moderator training to minimise errors in question papers, strengthening quality assurance and marking verification processes, and contributing research towards mother tongue-based bilingual education. Umalusi reported that its 2026/27 budget amounted to R238 million, reflecting a nine percent increase from the previous financial year, with approximately 76% of the budget transferred from the Department of Basic Education. The institution also highlighted targets relating to ICT network performance, invoice payments within 30 days, and maintaining vacancy rates below eight percent. However, Umalusi raised concerns regarding human resource constraints, inadequate financial resources, increasing operational costs, limited monitoring capacity of examination centres, and challenges associated with regulating unregistered online schools. Umalusi further indicated that the rollout of Recognition of Prior Learning initiatives had been delayed due to budget constraints. SACE highlighted its focus on strengthening the professionalisation of the teaching profession through awareness campaigns, educator development programmes, improved registration systems, and strengthened ethical standards. SACE projected total revenue of approximately R140.9 million for the 2026/27 financial year and highlighted plans to support educator professional development, improve certification turnaround times, and strengthen ethics and case management systems. The institution reported progress in integrating its systems with other government entities, improving cybersecurity measures, and addressing educator misconduct backlogs. SACE further indicated that it had investigated more than 1 200 backlog misconduct cases and was targeting the finalisation of 300 misconduct cases during the current reporting cycle. However, SACE acknowledged serious operational challenges, including increasing misconduct case backlogs, limited funding, fragmented systems, slow disciplinary processes, weak inter-institutional coordination, and ongoing concerns regarding abuse, harassment and violence within schools. SACE also indicated that budget limitations continued to affect core and mandatory functions of the institution. Members raised serious concerns regarding the growing backlog of educator misconduct cases and delays in disciplinary processes within SACE. Concerns were also raised regarding weak enforcement of ethical standards, gender-based violence and sexual harassment in schools, cultural and religious discrimination, poor awareness of gender sensitivity issues, and the need for stronger training and professional development for educators and school management. Members further questioned SACE on weaknesses in its ICT systems, cybersecurity protections, educator registration processes, funding model, and ability to adequately monitor educators across the country. Members also raised concerns regarding Umalusi’s limited monitoring of examination centres, delays in resolving examination irregularity investigations, and the withholding of learners’ National Senior Certificate results. Questions were raised regarding the regulation of online schools, Umalusi’s reliance on DBE transfers, travel and accommodation expenditure, staff retention, and the sustainability of its funding model. Members further emphasised the need for fair, transparent and efficient investigations into examination irregularities to avoid disadvantaging learners. The Committee requested that the Department provide a comprehensive report on learners whose matric results had been withheld due to alleged examination irregularities and provide updates on the status of those investigations. The Committee also requested reports on specific incidents raised during the meeting involving educator misconduct, assault and abuse at schools. Further engagements were proposed on Recognition of Prior Learning and the implementation of the Three Stream Model certification process. The Chairperson emphasised the importance of accountability, effective implementation, and ensuring that both institutions adequately fulfil their mandates in protecting learners, educators and the integrity of the education system.