Durban - Public Service and Administration Minister Thulas Nxesi has cited mental health issues among pupils as one of the main challenges impacting the country’s education system.
He was addressing the National Teachers’ Union conference in Durban on Thursday, where he acknowledged that working in the public service demanded a lot of dedication and had its fair share of challenges.
“Suicide and drop-outs are a major problem and must be taken seriously,” said Nxesi.
He appealed to teachers at all levels to take their work seriously and to be mindful that they were shaping future leaders, insisting that strong management yielded good results.
The minister warned against wrongful behaviour by teachers, stressing that they should be advocates for building, and not destroying, children’s future.
“The question that each of us should ask ourselves is ‘Am I building or destroying?’, because building puts the interests of the learner at the centre of everything,” said Nxesi.
He lamented episodes of misbehaviour such as arriving and leaving late, absenteeism, and intimate relations between pupils and teachers, saying such conduct should be frowned upon by everyone.
“You have instances of teachers who leave early on Fridays and return late on Monday mornings because their homes are far away from the schools, and this means that learners lose two days of schooling each week,” Nxesi said.
According to the minister, the Covid-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown had negatively affected the education of pupils, exposing the vast inequalities in the system, as those who were well off had been able to use technology to learn, while the vast majority of pupils had been left behind.
The three-day conference boasts delegates from all over the country who have been discussing a wide range of issues, including teacher safety, wage increases, and teacher development.
Delegates are expected to adopt a number of resolutions when the conference ends on Friday, September 9.