OUERS MET KOUE SKOUERS
Teachers leave in droves as rogue parents make their lives a living hell
Teachers say they are increasingly finding themselves under attack from parents, both in person and through social media.
Image: Supplied.
PARENTAL aggression has pushed already‑stretched teachers past their limits, forcing many to leave the profession, and in some cases, the country.
Experts warn that schools are becoming battlegrounds, where parents lash out at staff, use verbal and physical abuse, send threatening calls or emails. Sometimes they even confront pupils directly.
Thirona Moodley of the teachers’ union National Professional Teachers' Organisation of South Africa (Naptosa) says the situation is unbearable.
She said: “Parents are stepping out of their lanes and engaging with the school on issues that are out of their mandate. They come in like bulldozers…."
Many parents, she says, are bypassing formal channels. Rather than lodging complaints with principals or school governing bodies, they evade security and go straight into classrooms, leaving teachers fearful and occasionally in danger.
She added: “Children are very active in making false accusations, and then the parents respond. They support their children and don’t want to hear negative comments or reports about their conduct.”
Andrè de Bruyn, from the Education & Allied Workers Union of South Africa (EUSA), says that apart from parental aggression, teachers also face aggression from pupils and community members.
He expained: “This violence and intimidation erode morale, crush mental health, and drive teachers away from the profession, especially in poorer public schools that are already under‑resourced and overstretched.”
Earlier this week, a teacher at a former model‑C school in Cape Town recalled being confronted by a parent after a child failed to make the sports team.
She said: “Instead of messaging me, she took her frustrations straight to the principal but fabricated more lies. If she messaged me, I would tell her what happened. The situation escalated when the parent spread her version of events in a parents’ WhatsApp group.
A Durban teacher recalls how a parent burst into their staffroom during a meeting and punched the principal in the face, breaking his nose. The incident was believed to be related to her daughter’s homework.
Terrence Khala from the Department of Basic Education revealed that while corporal punishment remains one of the most frequently reported forms of teacher misconduct, the department is not aware of any widespread litigation by parents. “The Department is taking a firm stance to eliminate corporal punishment through strengthened enforcement, teacher training, and awareness campaigns to protect learners’ rights and reduce potential conflict between parents and educators,” Khala said.
He also offered reassurance regarding concerns about teacher shortages. “South Africa has a large pool of qualified, unemployed educators, and we are actively working to place them where they are needed most. Any shortages that do arise are subject‑ or phase‑specific, and targeted interventions, including recruitment drives, bursary programmes, and improved deployment systems, are being implemented to ensure that every classroom is adequately staffed,” said Khala.