Vision:

"To be the natural professional home for educators"

To achieve this vision, the SAOU believes:

• In the supremacy of quality education as a powerful agent of change in the world; and that
• High quality education is the undisputed right of every learner within an equal, non-racial, non-discriminatory education system.

Mission:

• To improve the professional status of educators at all times;
• To establish a comprehensive service delivery model for educators; and
• To improve the socio-economic benefits of education sector employees.

To achieve this mission, the Union strives for:

• The highest professionalization of all educators.
• The continuous improvement of all aspects of working life in the education sector.
• The SAOU is a politically independent Union built on the principle of freedom, equality and respect for fundamental human rights in order to improve and protect the individual and collective interests of its members within any existing or future labour relations dispensation and to ensure the delivery of quality education to the learners in their care.

Objectives:

To achieve these objectives:

• The SAOU manages relations between employees and employers;
• Opposes any form of unfair discrimination in education based on race, gender, ethnicity, political or religious beliefs;
• Forms alliances with national as well as international organisations that share the same value system, principles and objectives as the Union;
• Provides in-service and further training to fully support educators in their professional responsibility to guide and prepare learners to become responsible citizens of a democratic state.

Fundamental Principles:

The SAOU enshrines as fundamental principles that:

• A high level of professionalism should be pursued for all educators;
• The improvement of all aspects of working life in the education sector should be pursued;
• Education should ideally be provided in the mother tongue of the learner;
• High quality education is the inalienable right of every learner within an equal, non-racial, non-discriminatory education system.

Values:

• SAOU advises with Integrity
• SAOU accepts Accountability
• SAOU strives for Excellence
• At the SAOU we treat others with Respect

Our brand personality:

• Reliable
• Approachable
• Professional
• Friendly