Embrace 2026 - Why indigenous knowledge systems are the key to healing in South African classrooms

St Benedict's College announces the return of the annual Embrace Symposium, taking place on 4 and 5 June 2026 at St Benedict's College.

This year's theme, "Let's Meet Under the Tree: Using Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Pedagogy as Pathways to Social Healing in Education," tackles one of the most urgent and unresolved conversations in South African schooling: whether a meaningful return to Indigenous Knowledge Systems could be the catalyst for genuine social healing in our classrooms.

A Conversation South Africa Can No Longer Defer

More than 30 years since the dawn of democracy, South Africa's education system continues to wrestle with a fundamental tension.

Many argue that successive curriculum frameworks, from OBE to the NSC, CAPS, and the IEB, have struggled to meaningfully celebrate African knowledge alongside the demand to produce global citizens.

Others point to a failure at the level of teacher training, where too few black and brown African voices have found their way into classrooms, allowing old ways of thinking to persist beneath the surface of a transformed system.

The result, in many classrooms, has been fracture rather than belonging.

The world beyond our borders has only deepened this challenge.

Rising nationalist rhetoric, ongoing global conflict, and the aftershocks of movements like Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall have made their way into schools, where young people are navigating increasingly polarised identities.

Students are feeling the consequences of a world that has grown more divided, and education has not yet provided adequate tools to respond.

“Embrace 2026 makes a bold and considered argument,” says the Embrace planning committee.

“A rigorous, honest re-engagement with Indigenous Knowledge Systems is not a step backwards, but one of the most important steps forward available to South African educators today.”

More Than A Curriculum Conversation

As in years past, delegates at this year's Symposium will move beyond theory.

The programme is designed to equip educators with practical tools, spanning pedagogical approach, institutional language, social and disciplinary policy, and even what constitutes a 21st-century African school uniform.

The goal is straightforward: that every delegate leaves with the knowledge, language, and confidence to drive meaningful, tangible social healing in their school community.

A Distinguished Speaker Panel

Embrace 2026 brings together a speaker lineup that reflects both academic rigour and on-the-ground experience in South African education:

Tebogo Maneli: Upper school History teacher at Lebone II College of the Royal Bafokeng who is passionate about diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in schools, which lead to her convening the DEIBS Cluster in Gauteng.

Chris Harrison: Admitted attorney and teacher who believes in the power of multilingualism in building a cohesive South African society.

Prof Connie Makgabo: Academic Head at the South African National Tutor Services (SANTS), promoting and elevating African languages and their cultural significance.

Dan Corder: Media personality, political commentator, comedian, and host of The Corder Report known for his sharp, insightful analysis of South African current affairs.

Erick Kabongo: Psychologist, academic, teacher, and speaker who is committed to the holistic development of young men and the transformation of the educational landscape in South Africa.

The format includes dynamic speaker sessions, facilitated breakaways, and workshop-style discussions, structured to encourage real dialogue and practical takeaways.

A Legacy Of Transformation

Since its inception in 2019, the Embrace Symposium has consistently highlighted the impact of uniting diverse voices committed to educational change.

By deliberating these issues with like-minded peers, pupils, and subject experts, those in the profession leave better informed and inspired to create meaningful change in their schools.

The platform remains vital by helping learners recognise their role as leaders in the present moment, serving as a critical meeting point for those dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and social justice.

Book Your Place

The Embrace Symposium has earned its place as a landmark event on the South African education calendar.

For educators who care about teaching, about transformation, and about the students in their classrooms, this is a symposium that demands attendance.

The 2026 Symposium runs for 1.5 days.

Spaces are limited.

To register, visit https://www.stbenedicts.co.za

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Drafted and distributed on behalf of St Benedict’s and to contact for further information:

SIMONSAYS Communications

Melanie Stevens

083 303 9667 / 011 465-9815

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