WeeklySA_AdminPressure: Budget cuts add to workload, infringe on constitutional rights to quality education…
By Monk Nkomo
Thousands of South Africa’s teachers were increasingly facing chronic stress, burnout and even depression due to several factors that included budget cuts, poor salaries and the nightmarish ordeal of teaching overcrowded classrooms.
A recent online survey conducted by Stellenbosch University also established that teachers were expected to be more than just educators. They served as counsellors, social workers and even crisis managers and yet they were rarely given the mental health support they needed to fulfil their roles.
‘’ Many teachers are struggling and report feeling overworked and unsupported. This is pushing them out of the profession’’, said Professor Heleen Hofmeyer, one of the authors of the study.
There was an urgent need for mental health support in South African schools. Children and adolescents faced severe mental health pressures brought on by high levels of poverty, violence and abuse. It was estimated that one in ten children had a diagnosable mental illness.
Addressing this crisis required structural change, according to the survey.
‘’ There is a clear need for mental health and social support in schools for teachers. We also need to reduce the administrative burden on teachers so they can focus more on learners. To ensure quality education in South Africa, we must invest in teacher wellbeing.’’
Meanwhile, the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) complained that budget cuts were crippling schools. Educators were increasingly forced to teach in overcrowded classrooms as vacant posts remained unfilled. A total 2407 posts in the Western Cape had been frozen while other provinces had failed to expand their post establishments despite the rising number of learners.
‘’ In many instances, schools do not receive their funding norms and standards timeously, forcing principals to cover basic operational costs from their own pockets.’’
The union recently staged a protest march to draw attention to the devastating effects that austerity was having on the education system, teachers, learners and communities. The lack of investment in teacher wellbeing continued to strain an already overstretched workforce. They also complained about shortage of classrooms and toilets, dilapidated buildings and lack of school infrastructure including halls, libraries and laboratories.
‘’ Austerity measures were undermining public service delivery, particularly in education – threatening the constitutional right to quality education especially for children from poor and working-class backgrounds. All these barriers to quality education are because of neoliberal policies which must come to an end.’’
Roshni Parbhoo – Seetha, from the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), said many teachers feared being perceived as weak or incompetent.
‘’This fear is often intensified in school environments where mental health is not openly discussed. As a result, teachers suppress their symptoms, avoid seeking help and turn to unhealthy coping mechanisms that can worsen their condition over time.’’
Many teachers experienced secondary trauma, emotional and psychological impact that comes from hearing about or dealing with other people’s trauma. This was particularly evident in communities where poverty, violence and substance abuse was prevalent.
‘’ In the absence of school psychologists or social workers, teachers are left to manage complex social issues alone. This not only adds to their responsibilities but also contributes to stress, emotional exhaustion and eventual burnout.’’
Another critical obstacle was that private mental health care was often unaffordable on a teacher’s salary. Public services, on the other hand, were limited, under-resourced and came with long waiting periods. There was also a lack of awareness and many educators did not recognise the symptoms of mental distress or where to find help.
SADTU also highlighted the fact that educators and learners were facing growing safety concerns with violence at schools while little was being done to strengthen security or to provide adequate psychological support.
A high school teacher in Khayelitsha, Western Cape, told Health-e-News that despite having done the job for more than ten years teaching had become a nightmare. ‘’We are not just educators anymore. We are counsellors, social workers and administrators – all while trying to manage classrooms.”
In May last year, she became so overwhelmed by the demands of teaching that she was admitted to a mental health facility for 21 days.
“It is too much. We teach more than 30 pupils in a class and have to deal with different behaviours from them. Imagine being mocked or called names by your pupils in front of the whole class. Some do not take their schoolwork seriously, but on the other hand, the education department holds us accountable for poor results.”
Department of Education spokesperson, Elijah Mhlanga, said teachers, like other professionals, were entitled to sick leave. When psychological support was needed , teachers are encouraged to access services where they were available. In addition to existing leave provisions, they had a partnership with the SADAG which offered psychological services at no cost.
The study by the University of Stellenbosch called on schools and policy makers to prioritise mental health education and expand access support services especially in undeserved communities.
