Mental Health issues in South African schools.

1. Mental Health In
Schools
PART 1: Train The Teacher
Nokuthula
Ndlovu

2. Topics
Topic 1
Causes of teacher burnout.
Topic 2
Suggestions to improve wellbeing in schools.
Topic 3
Mental Health issues in learners
END

3.  Pressure for students to achieve top grades.
 Taking work home.
 Large classes.
 Teaching challenging students.
 Constant change.
 Low morale.
 School environment.
 High emotions.

4.  Create an Open-Door Policy.
 Conduct a Wellbeing Audit.
 Encourage Teacher Work Life Balance.
 Strengthen the child rights governance system, with clear roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in a child’s life, to
create a nurturing care environment.
 Support and empower parents, caregivers, children and young people to be able to seek advice and access quality mental
health and psychosocial support services needed to improve mental health.
 Scale up positive parenting programmes, safe parks and schools support to mental health.
 Break the silence, address stigma and promote better understanding of mental health
 Improve collaboration between government, private sector, civil society and academia to accelerate investments to create
hope through youth empowerment and employment so young people can thrive.
Suggestions to improve wellbeing in schools.

5.  Covid-19 induced psychosocial challenges
• closing of schools, playgrounds, as well as amusement parks, disrupt children’s normal lifestyle
which can potentially cause distress and confusion (Dubeyet al., 2020).
• social isolation,
• Decrease family income (Aristovnik et al., 2020).
• Insufficient supply of basic essentials,
Suggestions to improve wellbeing in schools.

6. Source: https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/promoting-mental-health-in-
schools/.
https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/wellbeing-in-schools-for-staff/
65 per cent of young people with mental health related issues did not seek help
– UNICEF
U-Report poll findings and #OnMyMind campaign launched to galvanize action
to improve mental health support for young people in South Africa
05 October 2021
https://www.unicef.org/southafrica/press-releases/65-cent-young-people-mental-
health-related-issues-did-not-seek-help-unicef.