Teachers are resigning from their jobs because they are victims of psychological and physical violence perpetrated by learners, in particular, the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) revealed in a new report on school-based violence.
The SAHRC probed violence in schools during a series of hearings in the Western Cape during 2006. This followed a flood of complaints from teachers’ unions, which were inundated with letters from members threatening to resign because of violence.
The report shows that violence at schools is not simply in the form of learner-on-learner bullying. In some instances it has escalated into fatalities, where teachers have died at the hands of their learners.
In the Western Cape, where gangsterism has found a home in the classroom, learners and educators are exposed to gang violence to the point of gang members shooting at each other in school.
One high school principal from the Western Cape said: “(Last) year, during the second term, we experienced an increase in gang violence as gangs waged battles for turf, with at least eight gangsters being killed in a short space of time.
“Our learners were highly traumatised and teachers hardly attended school for two weeks subsequent to the incident. Tension was very high in the area, which created feelings of insecurity, fear and anxiety among our learners. Many parents were reluctant to send their children to school as they feared for their safety.”
In a submission by the Community Agency for Social Enquiry (Case) NGO, to the SAHRC, a psychologist gave her perspective on teaching in an environment of gang violence.
A number of educators and school staff have been referred to her as a result of traumatic experiences they were exposed to in the workplace. They presented several symptoms of chronic post-traumatic stress because of gang violence.
As a result of their exposure to several traumatic incidents, a number of changes in their mood, thoughts and behaviour were reported. Symptoms of post-traumatic stress, such as feeling hyper-aroused, reliving the event and avoidance, were presented. This impacts negatively on the educators’ ability to teach because they feel trapped or confined in the school environment. This adds to constant negative feelings towards their employment, the report states.
These negative feelings may cause educators to lose interest and to become detached to the extent that they are unable to relate to their learners. Their self-confidence and self-esteem are reduced, making it difficult to accomplish their task. Educators often reported feeling disempowered in the classroom.
Stress caused by school-based violence can result in educators becoming depressed, sometimes resulting in violent behaviour being displayed towards learners.
Educators have expressed feelings of hopelessness and often feel exasperated by a sense of not being heard or supported by the relevant authorities.
School-based violence can also affect the personal lives of educators, with some, for example, resorting to alcoholism and other forms of substance abuse.
The SAHRC recommends that efficient educator support be put in place for educators who are at risk of violence. It emphasised that the education department needs to be made aware when educators have been subjected to violence at school.
It further encouraged that after experiencing violence at school, educators might need counselling and staff-support to help them cope. The report further recommends that the education department should assist schools to utilise a team approach – to engage with problem scenarios in classrooms and ensure that educators feel safe and supported by other school staff.