Educators in South Africa are facing increasing pressure due to excessive workload, administrative demands, and a complex school environment. A new study revealed that 92% of surveyed education workers consider high workload and burnout one of the most serious workplace issues.
This data was obtained from the latest strategic needs assessment conducted by the South African Teachers' Union (SAOU). According to the report, workload and burnout have become among the most significant challenges in the profession.
The pressure is felt across all age groups and among school principals. Among teachers under 27, this figure was 91%, as was the case for groups aged 28–43 and 44–59. Among school management, 93% of principals, 89% of deputy principals, and 93% of department heads cited high levels of workload and burnout.
The second most significant issue raised by 84% of respondents was administrative burden.
Danelien van den Berg, who leads the SAOU wellness support initiative, noted that the study results reflect the emotional toll of working in education. Cases received through this service indicate issues with emotional state, burnout, loss, as well as work-related difficulties, low mood, intimidation, and anxiety.
Van den Berg emphasized that the question is not just 'Are you burned out?', but also 'Can I continue in this mode?'. She added that teachers continue to come to work, teach classes, and perform their duties, but this does not guarantee their emotional or mental well-being.
According to her, dedication to the profession does not always protect teachers from exhaustion. Van den Berg explained that exhausted teachers are not necessarily those who have stopped caring about their job or wanting to teach; a person can deeply love their job but reach a point of realizing that they 'can no longer handle everything alone.'
The issue of teachers' mental health and workload was also on the agenda at the Women's Leadership Seminar and SAOU Principals' Symposium in Gqeberha, where one session was dedicated to the topic 'How to burn out correctly: eight steps not to miss.'
Van den Berg insists on the need for earlier intervention and support, arguing that while preventing difficulties in education is impossible, it is possible to listen earlier and provide support to people before they reach a critical point.
These findings come against a backdrop of broader concerns about conditions in South African schools, including student discipline, teacher safety, and the presence of weapons and suspected drugs on school grounds.
The South African Democratic Teachers' Union (Sadtu) stated that threats, intimidation, insults, and violence against educators can undermine their ability to perform professional duties effectively. Dems Nel, head of the legal department of the SAOU Teachers' Union Legal Services, reported that the union has also recorded an increase in cases related to verbal abuse, threats, intimidation, and violence against teachers.
Nel noted that teachers face numerous threats, intimidation, and physical harassment from students, their parents, the Department of Education, and governing bodies, and this phenomenon is becoming increasingly common in all provinces of the country. He also mentioned that the union is receiving more requests from teachers seeking advice on how to counter threatening behavior.
The Department of Basic Education (DBE) acknowledged the concerns raised by the unions but stated that teacher safety is considered within a broader school safety system, rather than as a separate national strategy. DBE representative Terence Hala reported that the National School Safety Framework and cooperation with SAPS provide a national approach to identifying and managing threats to students and educators.
Hala explained that the primary policy tool is the National School Safety Framework, which ensures a nationally coordinated approach to identifying, preventing, managing, and monitoring threats of violence and crime affecting students, educators, and other members of the school community.