SADTU sounds alarm: Rising student violence driving teachers out of the profession

The South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) warns that an increasing number of educators are abandoning the profession due to the rising tide of learner indiscipline and violence in schools.

The union’s concerns follow a distressing report from the Western Cape Department of Education, which documented 96 incidents of learners assaulting teachers so far this year.

SADTU spokesperson Nomusa Cembi emphasised that the union views any assault on an educator as a critical issue that threatens the stability of the schooling system.

In response to the growing safety crisis, SADTU has approached the Department of Labour to advocate for a broadening of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act (COIDA). The union wants the Act to explicitly cover teachers who fall victim to physical attacks in the classroom.

"We feel that the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Act should now extend and cover such incidents," says Cembi.

Beyond the physical risks, the union highlighted the lack of adequate psychological support for victims. Cembi noted that many assaulted teachers are currently forced to pay for their own trauma therapy, as existing government resources are often stretched thin.

"When one has got to procure counselling services, that requires money and there's no compensation from the department," Cembi explained. "Yes, the department does have wellness programmes, but we feel that sometimes they are not enough."