Northern Cape – Difficult working conditions, poor community support, responsibilities far beyond their job descriptions – these are among the many issues driving teachers away from their jobs, particularly in rural areas.

“When learners fall pregnant, we get emotionally affected as well. As teachers, we bond with our learners and in many cases, they confide in us since we spend the most time with them,” said a teacher from a rural school who asked not to be named.

“It goes beyond being a just a teacher. When we see a learner coming to school with no shoes or a torn uniform, or we see they are not coping because of the household stresses of being in a child-headed household, you feel a lot of pain,” she said.

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