WESTERN CAPE NEWS - Debbie Schäfer, Western Cape Minister of Education, joined thousands of teachers in the province on Friday 5 October to celebrate World Teachers' Day.
With the recent flare-up of attacks on teachers across the country, it is important that Government has programmes in place that provide psycho-social support to all teachers in need, said Schäfer. "We are aware that a number of our teachers are faced with increased disciplinary challenges in their classrooms."
World Teachers' Day represents an effort to raise awareness, understanding and appreciation for the vital contribution teachers make to education and development across the world.
The Western Cape's theme this year is "The Year of Value-Driven learning". The Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has also adopted a mindset change programme, which aims to help individuals make the shift from adopting negative attitudes to positive approaches instead.
Through the Employee Health and Wellness programme (EWP), the WCED aims to address teacher stress and safety challenges.
This includes:
- Profiling schools in gang and violent areas (which commenced at the start of 2017) and offering EWP services.
- An agreement with the EWP service provider to make contact with schools in gang and violent areas and advocate services and support. The service provider will also make contact with schools where incidences of violence, trauma and gangsterism are reported.
- For 2019, an agreement was forged in the Provincial Education Labour Relations Council (Perc) to focus specifically on teachers in schools at risk and provide psycho-social support and training interventions.
During the period 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018, 30 group trauma debriefing sessions took place at schools across the province, benefiting approximately 471 teachers.
Incidents supported during group trauma debriefing sessions are: loss of learners, loss of teachers, hijacking, stabbing, violence, armed robbery and gang violence.
The top psycho-social issues presenting in teachers accessing the EWP services are:
- Stress;
- Relationship issues (personal);
- Organisational issues (work relations, performance management);
- Mental illness / psychiatric problems;
- Trauma.
Schäfer stressed that the department requires the assistance of parents and community members. "They too have a crucial role to play. Parents need to take primary responsibility for their children's discipline and values and also need to set the right example of how one should behave.
Parents must also be made aware that if their children do choose to behave inappropriately towards a teacher, their children's actions will have severe negative consequences," said the MEC.
"We do not want to see learners' futures jeopardised through such unnecessary and unacceptable actions and we trust that this will serve as a caution. Our teachers are our most important resource, not just for the WCED, but for the country as a whole. They are valued professionals and should be given the respect that they deserve."
Schäfer wished all the teachers a happy World Teachers' Day and extended a big "thank you" for what they do.
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