Half of all teachers surveyed are considering leaving the profession within the next decade, citing burnout, administrative overload, and a lack of mental health support as key drivers.

Dr Heleen Hofmeyr, Senior Researcher and Co-Author of the report spoke to Channel Africa, emphasising the urgent need for reform.

“While not all who say they’ll leave will actually do so, the statistic reflects deep dissatisfaction. Teachers are unhappy, and that’s what we must focus on,” she explained.

The report shows that while many educators enter the profession out of a passion for helping young people and contributing to national growth, their idealism is being tested by day-to-day realities.

Chief among the complaints is administrative overload. Teachers report spending excessive time on paperwork that often yields no tangible outcomes, such as progress reports for large classes that receive no follow-up from education authorities.

Hofmeyr identified structural issues within the Department of Basic Education, where national, provincial, and district demands for data are often uncoordinated.

“There’s an enormous opportunity to streamline administrative requirements,” she said.

Perhaps surprisingly, the study found that teachers in well-resourced schools report higher levels of stress, driven by relentless pressure from parents and school management.

In contrast, educators in underfunded schools are burdened by basic resource shortages, some even dip into personal salaries to buy supplies for students.

A stark rural-urban divide also persists. While 60% of respondents were open to working in rural areas if suitable incentives were offered, 40% said no incentive would persuade them, citing neglected infrastructure, erratic utilities, and poor living conditions.

Mental health support remains another critical gap.

“Teachers are acting as social workers and trauma counsellors without proper training,” said Hofmeyr, adding that researchers and policymakers alike have overlooked these demands for too long.

The report’s key recommendations include reducing redundant admin tasks, introducing dedicated psychosocial support in schools, and designing more effective, creative incentives to attract educators to rural areas. “We need a shift in how we value and support our teachers,” Hofmeyr concluded.

--ChannelAfrica--