South Africa’s public education system is facing mounting strain after more than 30 000 educators exited the profession in the past five years, a trend that unions warn is weakening learning outcomes and stretching classrooms beyond capacity.
This growing loss of skilled teachers, confirmed in a recent parliamentary reply by the Minister of Basic Education, has set off renewed calls for an urgent nationwide retention strategy.
Figures highlighted by the Public Servants Association show the extent of the challenge; 30 992 resignations and 1 245 dismissals since 2020, adding up to more than 6 000 departures every year.
With thousands of posts unfilled, schools are battling to maintain quality teaching while class sizes swell well beyond international norms.
Union representatives note that the staff drain is not just driven by one factor, but a combination of pressures that have been building for years.
In its statement, the PSA points out that many educators are overwhelmed by ‘burnout and excessive workloads,’ often made worse by growing administrative duties that pull them away from classroom teaching.
Various briefings by the Association also mention that poor working conditions and persistent safety issues, including violence on school premises, continue to push educators out of the profession.
Several teachers, the PSA notes, are leaving because salaries and career incentives ‘fall short of what is needed to retain skilled professionals,’ prompting many to seek better prospects abroad or outside education altogether.
Current classroom conditions reveal how the educator shortage is playing out on the ground, as union data suggests that more than half of the country’s primary school learners are taught in classes of more than 40 pupils, with some schools reporting class sizes that climb above 50.
Education analysts warn that these overcrowded settings make personalised teaching nearly impossible and slow down academic progress, especially in foundational subjects like literacy and mathematics.
The PSA has urged the Department of Basic Education to act with urgency. Rather than allowing vacancies to remain open, the Association suggests tapping into the more than 12 700 qualified but unemployed educators already listed on the National Recruitment Database, saying these professionals could be deployed ‘without delay.’
The union has also previously appealed for well-resourced mental-health and wellness programmes to support teachers at risk of burnout.
Another recommendation includes revisiting the Department’s approach to rural incentives and career-development pathways, measures the PSA believes could help attract educators to communities where shortages are most severe.
Compiled by Lulama Klassen
First published on Cape {town} etc
