Profession in peril

'We need real, visible support where it counts.'

- Nadia Lubowski

The teaching profession has always been one of the main pillars within a thriving society. But today, in South Africa, it is a profession in peril. Our teachers – those entrusted with shaping future generations, are burning out, under-resourced and, increasingly, walking away from the profession altogether, resulting in a brain drain.

At the Anton Lubowski Educational Trust (Alet), we engage daily with teachers across the country. What they share is sobering, from crime-ridden classrooms being extorted by gang leaders, to inadequate training, emotional exhaustion and chronic underpayment. These are not isolated incidents – they are part of a national crisis.

Classrooms on the brink Many public schools in South Africa face staggering pupil to teacher ratios, with some teachers managing classrooms of over 50 pupils at a time.

In these overcrowded, noisy environments, individual attention is almost impossible and discipline becomes a full-time job in itself.