Terms & Conditions

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account or accessing any part of this Platform, you confirm that you:

Are 18 years of age or older.
Are a South African educator, school leader, government official, school support team member, provincial coordinator, or School Governing Body (SGB) member, or another individual who works with or supports learners in a school environment.
Have read, understood, and accepted these Terms and our Privacy Policy.
Will use the Platform solely for its intended professional development and educational purpose.

2. Purpose of the Platform

DBE Protect is intended to:

Provide online professional development training, toolkits, and resources for educators and school staff.
Support learner wellbeing, safety, and psychosocial support in South African schools.
Enable SACE-accredited professional development and track users' progress toward SACE requirements.
Provide access to DBE policies, summaries, guidelines, and educational resources.
Offer selected courses developed or delivered in collaboration with the Department of Basic Education (DBE) and the Psychosocial Support Directorate.
Facilitate communication of education-related opportunities and information relevant to the professional development of educators.

3. User Accounts and Responsibility

Providing accurate, complete and up-to-date information during registration. The name and surname you register with will appear on any certificates issued to you. You may update your details in your account settings.
Keeping your login credentials confidential and not sharing your password with any other person.
Using the Platform responsibly, lawfully, and only for its intended professional development purpose.
Notifying us immediately via the contact form if you believe your account has been compromised.
Ensuring that your registration details accurately reflect your professional role and province for reporting purposes.

You are required to create an account to access services on this platform and you are responsible for:

All activities that occur under your account are your responsibility.

4. Protection of Personal Information (POPIA and GDPR Compliance)

By using this Platform, you consent to the collection, storage, and use of your personal information for the following purposes:

We are committed to protecting your privacy in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Please read our full Privacy Policy for details of how your data is collected, stored, and used.

Delivering courses, resources, and professional development services.
SACE tracking, reporting, and the generation of proof of completion.
Reporting and data analysis for the Department of Basic Education and relevant programme funders and donors.
Monitoring participation, professional development progress, and programme impact.
Improving the design and delivery of educational content and platform services.

Your data will not be sold, rented, or shared with third parties beyond:

The Department of Basic Education (DBE) as course collaborator and reporting authority.
SACE (South African Council for Educators) for accreditation and verification purposes.
Official programme funders and donors (for impact reporting, in aggregate or anonymised form where possible).
Service providers working under strict confidentiality agreements solely for the purposes listed above.

You have the right to access, correct, or request deletion of your personal data, and to withdraw consent for non-essential processing. Requests can be made via the contact form on the DBE Protect website.

5. Communications, Notifications, and Funder/Sponsor Messaging

By registering on DBE Protect, you agree to receive:

Platform notifications about new courses, resources, events, and updates relevant to your professional development.
Administrative and transactional communications, including account notices, certificate confirmations, and service announcements.
Education-related communications from funders and sponsors who financially support the Platform and make it free to use. These communications will relate to educational programmes, professional development opportunities, or resources that could directly benefit you as an educator.

We will never display random commercial advertisements or content unrelated to education and professional development or directly related to our funders and sponsors.

You may opt out of promotional and funder/sponsor communications at any time via the unsubscribe link in any such communication, or through the contact form on the DBE Protect website. You cannot opt out of transactional and administrative communications, which are necessary for the functioning of your account.

Communication channels on the Platform (such as community forums or messaging features) may allow interaction with other users. By using these, you agree to communicate respectfully and understand that messages may be moderated for safety and appropriateness.

6. Use of Content and Certificates

All learning materials, videos, quizzes, assessments, policy documents, and resources on the Platform are for your personal professional development use only.

Certificates earned on the Platform are SACE-accredited (where applicable) and may be verified by programme funders, the DBE, or SACE for courses they co-develop or support. Each certificate carries a unique verification code.
You may download and share resources with colleagues for non-commercial educational use within your school or district.
You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, sell, or commercialise any Platform content or materials without prior written permission from Pinnock Consulting.
Certificates remain the property of the registered user and may not be claimed, submitted, or used by any other person.

7. Prohibited Activities

You agree not to:

Register using false, inaccurate, or misleading information.
Share your account or login credentials with any other person.
Post, upload, or share any unlawful, harmful, abusive, defamatory, or inappropriate content.
Harass, abuse, intimidate, or harm other users.
Upload viruses, malware, or engage in any action that may damage, disrupt, or compromise the Platform or its users.
Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other users' accounts or to any part of the Platform's systems.
Use the Platform or its content for any commercial or for-profit purpose without written permission.
Misrepresent certificates, completions, or credentials obtained through the Platform.

8. Platform Access and Availability

The Platform is accessible via web browser on desktop and mobile devices with an internet connection.
A dedicated DBE Protect mobile application, which will support offline course access, is planned for release in September 2026.
The Platform may be temporarily unavailable for scheduled maintenance or updates. We will provide notice where possible.

We strive to maintain Platform availability but cannot guarantee uninterrupted access.

Access may be limited by technical issues, connectivity, or circumstances beyond our control.

11. Liability Disclaimer

Training content is provided for educational and professional development purposes only.
We make no warranties regarding uninterrupted access, the complete accuracy of materials, or the suitability of content for any specific professional context.
To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, Pinnock Consulting is not liable for any loss, damages, claims, or injuries arising from your use of this Platform or its content.

We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, or practices of any third-party websites linked from the Platform.

10. Termination of Access

You violate any of these Terms.
You provide false registration information.
You misuse the Platform, disrupt the learning experience of other users, or engage in any prohibited activity.
We are required to do so by law.

We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your access to the Platform if:

Termination does not affect your right to retain certificates already earned and verified prior to termination.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, your data, or how your information is used, please use the contact form on the DBE Protect website and someone will get back to you.

This Platform is operated by: Pinnock Consulting.

Welcome to DBE Protect, an online professional development and resource platform (the "Platform") for educators and school staff across South Africa. The Platform is operated by Pinnock Consulting (Pincon) with the support of funders and sponsors. The Department of Basic Education (DBE) collaborates on selected courses and educational initiatives available on this Platform. By registering, accessing, or using this Platform, you agree to comply with these Terms and Conditions of Use ("Terms"). Please read them carefully before proceeding. If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not access or use the Platform.

9. SACE Accreditation and Professional Development

Courses on DBE Protect that are SACE-accredited are clearly indicated on the Platform.
Upon successful completion of an accredited course, a certificate is automatically generated and available for download from your account.

Your responsibility:

It is your responsibility to submit certificates and records of completion to SACE in accordance with SACE's own requirements and processes. DBE Protect facilitates completion records and certificates but does not guarantee that SACE will accept or recognise any particular submission.

A dedicated SACE tracking section is in development and will be announced when available.

12. Copyright and Intellectual Property

All Platform content (including course materials, videos, assessments, policy summaries, graphics, and branding) is owned by Pinnock Consulting or its licensed partners, including the Department of Basic Education where applicable.
The DBE Protect name, logo, and trademarks may not be used without prior written permission.
Content developed in collaboration with the DBE remains subject to applicable government copyright and usage policies.
Downloading or printing materials for personal professional use within your school or district is permitted. Any other reproduction, distribution, or commercial use requires written authorisation.

13. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa.
Any disputes arising from the use of this Platform will be subject to the jurisdiction of the South African courts.
Any legal procedures will take place in Cape Town, South Africa

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or unenforceable, that provision will be deemed severable from the remaining Terms, which will continue in full force and effect.

15. Updates to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes to the Platform, legal requirements, or operational practices. A notice will be posted on the Platform when material changes are made.

A Department of Basic Education National Safeguarding and Psychosocial Support Initiative

Terms and Conditions