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Weekend Argus reports that parental aggression has pushed already‑stretched teachers past their limits, forcing many to leave the profession, and in some cases, the country.
Experts have warned that schools are becoming battlegrounds, where parents lash out at staff, use verbal and physical abuse and send threatening calls or emails. Thirona Moodley of the National Professional Teachers' Organisation of SA (Naptosa) said the situation was unbearable. “Parents are stepping out of their lanes and engaging with the school on issues that are out of their mandate. They come in like bulldozers,” she indicated. According to Moodley, many parents were bypassing formal channels. Rather than lodging complaints with principals or school governing bodies, they evaded security and went straight into classrooms, leaving teachers fearful and occasionally in danger. The aggression spans both public and private schools, though it takes different forms because in private schools parents tend to be more hands‑on and more critical of teachers.
The Department of Basic Education’s Terrence Khala offered reassurance regarding concerns about teacher shortages. “South Africa has a large pool of qualified, unemployed educators, and we are actively working to place them where they are needed most. Any shortages that do arise are subject‑ or phase‑specific, and targeted interventions, including recruitment drives, bursary programmes, and improved deployment systems, are being implemented to ensure that every classroom is adequately staffed,” said Khala.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Wendy Jasson Da Costa, Anita Nkonki & Tracy-Lynn Ruiters at Weekend Argus
Get other news reports at the SA LabourNews home page