South Africa’s education system is failing under the combined weight of violence, hunger, teacher shortages and infrastructure breakdown, with millions of learners left without adequate psychosocial support as regulatory delays stall the deployment of school social workers.
Dr Marelize Vergottini, senior lecturer in Social Work at the North-West University, said the crisis is systemic and already entrenched across the country.
“Across South Africa, an overwhelming number of recent reports show that learners and teachers are being failed by systemic collapse,” Vergottini said. “These failures directly undermine learners’ development, safety, academic performance and long-term potential, while leaving teachers burnt out.”
The finalisation of regulations to recognise school social work as a professional specialisation has been delayed for more than six years, despite draft regulations being released for public comment in 2020.
“This prolonged administrative stagnation continues to create deep uncertainty in the sector and directly disadvantages vulnerable learners who rely on psychosocial support in schools,” Vergottini said.
The National School Nutrition Programme has experienced severe disruptions in several provinces, leaving thousands of schools and millions of learners without meals. Data from Statistics South Africa confirms that hunger is a daily reality for 16,3% of children nationally.
Severe teacher shortages, with tens of thousands of vacant posts, have resulted in overcrowded classrooms and deteriorating learning conditions. Teachers report feeling burnt out, with their wellbeing critically declining.
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“Learners are being left defenceless in places meant to protect and nurture them,” Vergottini said, referring to the rise in school-based violence.
Nationwide, six out of every ten children experience trauma during childhood, and more than 13 million children live in poverty. Trauma and poverty severely hinder cognitive development, according to Vergottini.
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“The combined impact of these pressures – hunger, violence, trauma, teacher shortages, overcrowding and poor infrastructure – reflects a system in crisis,” she said. “Without dedicated psychosocial support, these conditions will continue to hinder learning, entrench inequality and jeopardise children’s futures.”
Vergottini said school social workers are uniquely equipped to address these challenges.
“Every school should have a school social worker as part of its staff – this is a necessity, not an ‘extra’,” she said. “The need is urgent, the evidence is overwhelming, and the consequences of inaction are borne by the country’s most vulnerable population.”
