Naptosa warns of teacher safety concerns ahead of school reopening
The National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) has highlighted the safety of teachers on school premises as its primary concern ahead of the new academic year.
Director Basil Manuel said the safety of teachers is a longstanding issue that requires consistent cooperation between the Department of Basic Education, teacher unions and parents.
He stressed that parents must take greater responsibility for disciplining their children and addressing their behaviour in classrooms.
"We don't want to see children expelled. We don't want to see children sitting on street corners, but that can only be prevented if all stakeholders are working together and running in the same direction," said Manuel.
Incidents, such as the one at Hoërskool Jan de Klerk in Krugersdorp in 2022, where a pupil was seen on video placing an elderly teacher in a chokehold while classmates cheered, are often cited as examples of the types of violence faced by teachers.
Although the Gauteng Education Department launched an investigation, its outcome was never made public.
Manuel noted that incidents may go unreported because teachers often feel embarrassed about being assaulted by learners.
He added that support for educators should extend beyond physical safety to include their mental well-being.
This concern echoes findings from a 2025 study by Dr Marelize Vergottini, a senior lecturer in social work at North West University, who warned that teachers’ emotional health was in crisis.
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