Teacher exodus: Over 30,000 educators leave South Africa’s public schools in five years
Over 30,000 educators have left South Africa's public schools in the past five years, raising urgent concerns about a critical shortage of teachers.
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More than 30 000 educators have left South Africa’s public schools in the past five years.
This is according to a written reply from Minister of Basic Education Siviwe Gwarube in response to a question asked by Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader, Dr Mmusi Maimane.
Gwarube revealed that more than 32 000 teachers have left the profession in the past five years – an average of over 6 000 a year. Of these departures, 30 992 were resignations and 1 245 were dismissals.
The reasons given for the resignations included retirement eligibility, career changes, migration to other sectors or countries, and overwhelming workload pressures.
The Public Servants Association (PSA) said it was extremely concerned about the exodus of teachers from the profession.
It said the situation has created a critical educator shortage, resulting in overcrowded classrooms and declining education quality.
“Reports indicate that more than 50% of primary school learners are taught in classes exceeding 40 learners, with some classes surpassing 50 learners. This places South Africa behind global norms and undermines efforts to deliver quality education. The reasons for this attrition include educator burnout and overwhelming workloads, compounded by excessive administrative duties.
“The situation is exacerbated by poor working conditions and safety concerns, including violence in schools. In addition, low salaries and a lack of incentives are driving educators to seek opportunities abroad or in other sectors.”
The PSA called on the Department of Basic Education to urgently implement an educator retention strategy, addressing workload, safety, and salary disparities.
It added that the department could also employ the more than 12 700 qualified, unemployed educators listed on the National Recruitment Database to fill vacant posts immediately.
The union had previously called on the department to introduce adequate and resourced mental health and wellness support for educators to combat burnout.
“Education is one of the cornerstones of national development. The PSA urges government to act decisively to stem the loss of skilled educators, restore dignity to the teaching profession, and ensure that every learner has access to quality education.”
BOSA called on Gwarube to table before Parliament:
- A teacher deployment and absorption plan to immediately employ all qualified educators currently on the national database; and
- A teacher retention strategy to address burnout, poor working conditions, and salary disparities that are driving skilled teachers out of the profession
The party said teachers are the country's “unsung heroes”.
“We thank every educator for the selfless work they do to build South Africa’s future.”