Who takes care of the teacher? A call to protect educators' mental health

Something has been weighing heavily on my mind. I have written about suicide on several occasions, as have many other writers, yet the subject continues to confront our society with painful urgency. It is a menace that knows no age, professional rank, educational background or social standing. It can affect anyone, including those we least expect.

Recent reports concerning the death of a school principal, whose body was discovered in a hotel room, have once again provoked difficult questions within the education fraternity. The circumstances surrounding the incident remain subject to police investigations, and we must allow the relevant authorities to establish the facts without speculation.

Nevertheless, the incident raises a broader question that society cannot afford to ignore: How do we protect the people entrusted with shaping the lives of others when they themselves are struggling emotionally and psychologically?

How does a person who leads an institution, mentors teachers, guides learners and makes important decisions reach a point where life itself becomes difficult to navigate? Who listens to the principal? Who checks on the senior teacher? Who supports the classroom teacher when the person expected to offer guidance is silently fighting personal battles?

These questions deserve more than momentary public sympathy. They demand an honest conversation about mental health and teacher welfare.

Teaching is a demanding profession. Teachers are expected to deliver the curriculum, manage diverse learners, maintain discipline, account for academic performance, communicate with parents and adjust to changing educational demands.

For school administrators, the responsibilities extend to financial accountability, staff management, institutional discipline, parental expectations and government directives.

Yet behind these responsibilities are ordinary human beings with families, financial obligations, personal disappointments, grief and emotional vulnerabilities.

We sometimes mistake professional competence for emotional invulnerability. We assume that because someone is educated, experienced or occupies a senior position, they possess the capacity to overcome every difficulty.

That assumption is misleading.

A principal may preside over a staff meeting, resolve a disciplinary matter and encourage colleagues to remain hopeful while privately struggling with circumstances they cannot easily explain. A teacher may appear cheerful in the staffroom yet be battling emotional exhaustion.

Professional status does not make anyone immune to psychological distress.

Suicidal behaviour is complex and may involve several interacting factors, including depression, prolonged stress, financial difficulties, relationship problems, traumatic experiences, loneliness and feelings of hopelessness. It is rarely responsible to attribute an individual's death to one assumed cause without reliable evidence.

The World Health Organization emphasises that suicide is preventable and that recognising distress, listening without judgement and connecting individuals to appropriate support are essential interventions.

Unfortunately, our workplaces sometimes make it difficult for people to admit that they are struggling. Teachers are expected to be role models, mentors and dependable professionals. Consequently, some fear being labelled weak, incompetent or unable to handle responsibility if they seek psychological assistance.

This culture of silence must change.

When a colleague withdraws from others, expresses persistent hopelessness, experiences unusual behavioural changes or repeatedly communicates that life has become unbearable, such signs should not be dismissed as indiscipline or attention-seeking.

We must learn to ask meaningful questions, listen patiently and take expressions of suicidal thoughts seriously. Asking someone directly whether they are thinking about suicide does not plant the idea in their mind. It can open a door to help.

The Teachers Service Commission's responsibility should extend beyond recruitment, deployment, appraisal, discipline and career progression. The psychological welfare of teachers must become an integral component of human resource management.

There is an urgent need for accessible and confidential counselling services, trained mental health professionals and clearly established referral pathways at national, county and sub-county levels.

Teachers should know where to seek assistance without fearing professional victimisation or unnecessary exposure of personal information.

Regular employee wellness programmes should move beyond ceremonial seminars to provide meaningful support.

School administrators, who carry considerable institutional and interpersonal responsibilities, require particular attention. They need leadership support, opportunities for professional counselling and assistance in managing workplace conflict.

The Commission should also examine the effects of excessive workloads, staffing shortages, prolonged administrative pressures and unresolved workplace disputes on employee well-being.

School heads and senior teachers should receive basic training in recognising psychological distress, responding compassionately and referring colleagues to qualified professionals. They should not be expected to diagnose or treat mental health conditions.

Teachers' unions, including KNUT and KUPPET, also have an important role in advocating for stronger employee welfare structures and ensuring that mental health is not treated as an insignificant workplace concern.

A healthy workforce cannot be built through performance targets alone. It requires people who feel respected, supported and valued.

Institutional intervention is important, but so is personal responsibility. We need to cultivate a culture of genuine friendship among colleagues, one that goes beyond professional positions, examination results and administrative responsibilities.

Check on a colleague who has become unusually withdrawn. Listen when someone says they are overwhelmed. Encourage professional help instead of offering judgement or dismissing their concerns.

Teachers must also understand that seeking assistance is not a professional failure. Speaking to a counsellor, psychologist, doctor, trusted family member or religious leader can be an important step towards recovery.

Where someone is at immediate risk of harming themselves, they should not be left alone. Trusted support people and emergency medical services should be involved promptly.

Families, too, must recognise that teachers do not stop being human beings when they leave the school compound. They need understanding, companionship and emotional support just like everyone else.

Scripture offers an important perspective on emotional exhaustion. In 1 Kings 19, the prophet Elijah reached a point of profound despair and asked God to take his life.

God's response is instructive. Elijah received rest, food, care and reassurance before being guided towards his next assignment.

There is a lesson here for our society: A distressed person may need compassion and practical assistance before they can find the strength to face another day.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Faith can provide comfort, hope and belonging, but prayer should complement rather than replace professional mental health care. Churches and religious communities should also become safe spaces where people can speak freely, receive encouragement and be connected to appropriate support.

Perhaps it is time we examined the society and workplaces we have created.

Have we become too quick to judge and too slow to listen? Do we celebrate professional achievements while overlooking the human cost of attaining them? Have we created environments where people are valued only for what they deliver?

To every teacher reading this, remember that your worth is not determined by your designation, salary, examination results or the institution you manage.

You are more than your professional responsibilities. You are allowed to struggle, seek help and take time to recover.

To school administrators, remember that the people you lead are human beings before they are employees. To colleagues, check on one another. To families, listen without condemnation. To the employer, invest in the psychological welfare of the workforce with the same seriousness devoted to professional development and institutional performance.

The death of a teacher should never become another headline that attracts public attention for a few days before society moves on.

We must turn our concern into policies, accessible support services and a workplace culture that values human life.

Who takes care of the teacher? Who listens to the principal? Who supports the mentor when the mentor needs support?

These questions must no longer remain unanswered.

Let us save a teacher. Let us save a life.