Spotlight on teacher burnout
As South African schools grapple with the demands of a rapidly changing educational landscape, the mental health of teachers, especially in lower quintile schools where overcrowding, poor infrastructure, and minimal support are the norm, has reached concerning levels, making investment in their wellbeing no longer a luxury but a necessity.
“Teacher stress is a global issue, but while many countries have implemented structured support systems to help educators cope, this safety net is virtually non-existent in South Africa, leaving educators to sink or swim on their own. The result? Exhaustion, frustration, and alarming levels of burnout.” – Banele Lukhele, CEO at JGF.
A teacher at a Quintile 1 school in the Western Cape says “You get thrown into the deep end with no support. I love teaching—but when things go wrong, teachers are the first to be blamed and the last to be helped,” echoing the reality faced by many educators across the country.
What the studies have revealed
A 2023 study revealed a staggering 70% of South African educators experience high levels of stress, with teacher burnout especially prevalent in poorer schools.
25% of teachers in South Africa report experiencing job-related stress far higher than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average of 18%.
When teachers are buckling under pressure, it’s not just their health that suffers; it directly impacts students’ learning outcomes.
Overwhelmed teachers struggle to engage learners, classroom morale plummets, and the entire education ecosystem starts to collapse.
A recent Teacher Preferences and Job Satisfaction in South Africa study was concluded in December 2024 by the Teacher Demographic Dividend and Stellenbosch University, revealing the following:
- 49% of teachers have expressed a desire to leave teaching within 10 years
- Main reasons for wanting to leave include feeling overworked and the administrative burden
- 70% of teachers cited administrative work as their main stressor
Stress impacts 32% of teachers’ mental health, and 24% of teachers’ physical health.
Stress Awareness Month
For Stress Awareness Month in April, JGF called for a hard reset, urging policymakers and schools of all types and sizes to recognise the toll on our teachers and take immediate action to ensure their well-being and prevent further teacher burnout before it is too late.
“For most educators, the transition from university to the classroom is tough, with teacher training programmes equipping educators with the theory but often falling short on preparing them for the psychological demands of the job,” says Lukhele.
“The mental and emotional strain can be overwhelming—especially in lower quintile schools where support is scarce,” she adds.
Red Flags, Not Red Pens
All teachers, not just newly qualifies teachers (NQTs), report feelings of isolation and anxiety.
Veteran educators in high-pressure, low-resource schools are also burning out, often becoming too overwhelmed to offer mentorship or embrace change.
This is where intervention is becoming critical.
“With the generous support of our funding partners and donors, we’ve been able to build a support model that encompasses both the hands-on mentoring and training that NQTs need, through pairing teachers with coaches, as well as providing psychological and counselling support through one of our partners, the Lyra Wellness platform,” says Lukhele.
JGF also facilitates Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), where teachers can collaborate and share best practices to manage the emotional toll of teaching.
“Community is everything,” adds Lukhele. “Teachers need to know they’re not alone. That sense of solidarity can be a lifeline.”
Meaningful Change
The responsibility to improve mental health and reduce teacher burnout doesn’t lie with educators alone.
For meaningful change to happen, schools and policymakers must prioritise teacher well-being.
This includes reducing class sizes, hiring teaching assistants, ensuring safer working conditions, and allocating proper funding for induction and mental health support, which are essential for easing the transition into teaching.
The saying ‘the quality of an educational system cannot exceed the quality of its teachers’ has never been more relevant.