Teacher unions sound alarm on burnout crisis

High number of vacancies has led to overcrowded classrooms, increased workloads

- THAMI MAGUBANE

TEACHER unions are warning of burnout and mental health challenges among educators as a result of them being overloaded with work due to the thousands of vacancies across provinces.

The unions blamed the vacancies on the austerity measures imposed by the national government.

The South African Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) and the National Teachers Union (Natu) stated that these austerity measures are damaging the quality of education and putting lives at risk. Natu said during the 2023/24 financial year, over 23 000 posts in provincial education departments across the country were cut, with the total number of unfilled but funded vacancies exceeding 46 000.

The unions said overcrowding in classrooms deprives pupils of individual teacher attention, while teachers are burdened with increased administrative work, leading to burnout and mental health challenges.

In a statement, Sadtu said the austerity measures and budget cuts have resulted in overcrowded classrooms that hinder effective teaching and learning. The lack of substitute teachers has increased the workload for the remaining educators, negatively impacting their health.

“Teacher burnout is a significant issue, with 44% of teachers in Grade R - 12 reporting that they very often or always feel burned out at work. This figure is even higher among female teachers, with 55% experiencing frequent burnout. Teaching staff report the highest rates of work-related stress, depression and anxiety compared to other professions,’ the statement revealed.