As the world marks World Teachers’ Day, it is important to celebrate teachers not only for their contribution to education but also to reflect on their welfare. Teachers are among the most important professionals in society. They educate children, shape character, nurture talents and prepare future generations to take up responsibilities in society.
However, behind the classroom, teachers are human beings who experience stress, pressure, family challenges, financial difficulties, workplace conflicts and emotional exhaustion. With the increasing mental-health challenges among teachers, there is a need to step up the fight against mental-health problems within the teaching profession.
For this reason, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) should consider establishing a dedicated mental-health and psychosocial-support department in every sub-county.
Bringing mental-health services closer to teachers
One of the major challenges facing people seeking mental-health support is access. A teacher working in a remote school may have to travel considerable distances to find appropriate counselling or psychological services.
Establishing mental-health departments at the sub-county level would bring these services closer to teachers. Teachers would have a designated place where they can seek professional counselling, psychological support, assessment and referrals when necessary.
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Addressing stress and burnout
Teaching is a demanding profession. Apart from classroom teaching, educators deal with lesson preparation, assessment, record keeping, co-curricular activities, meetings, parental concerns and the diverse needs of learners.
When these demands are combined with personal challenges, teachers may experience prolonged stress and burnout. A mental-health department could provide preventive programmes, counselling and stress-management services before difficulties become more serious.
With mental-health challenges increasingly becoming a concern among teachers, there is a need for TSC to move beyond reacting to cases after they emerge and invest more in early identification, prevention and intervention.
TSC already has an opportunity to act
Importantly, TSC does not have to start from scratch. The Commission already has officers trained in special needs education who interact with teachers at various levels.
With appropriate additional training, clear guidelines and referral mechanisms, these officers could play an important role in the early identification of teachers experiencing mental-health challenges. They could help identify warning signs, provide initial support within their professional mandate and facilitate timely referral to qualified mental-health professionals and health facilities.
This existing human resource provides an opportunity for TSC to build a structured teacher-wellbeing system at the sub-county level.
A new opportunity for firm leadership
With seasoned teachers such as Antonina Lentoijoni and Wilson Sossion serving as commissioners, there is an opportunity for the Commission’s leadership to bring a strong understanding of the realities facing teachers into the conversation on teacher welfare.
The growing mental-health challenges among teachers call for a firm, practical and compassionate institutional response. TSC should consider making teacher mental health a more visible priority within its welfare programmes and administrative structures.
The proposed sub-county mental-health departments would provide a practical starting point. They could coordinate early identification, counselling, psychosocial support, referrals and follow-up while ensuring that teachers can access assistance without having to travel far from their workplaces.
Creating a culture where seeking help is normal
Mental-health challenges are sometimes surrounded by stigma. Some teachers may fear being judged by colleagues or supervisors if they seek psychological assistance.
A dedicated TSC-supported service could help change this perception by promoting the message that seeking professional support is a responsible step, not a sign of weakness. Mental health should be treated as an important component of occupational wellbeing.
Confidentiality would also be critical. Teachers need to have confidence that seeking help will not automatically expose them to stigma, discrimination or unnecessary professional consequences.
Supporting teachers during difficult times
Teachers, like everyone else, go through difficult periods in their lives. Bereavement, family problems, relationship difficulties, financial pressure, workplace disputes and traumatic experiences can affect a person’s emotional wellbeing and ability to function effectively.
A sub-county mental-health department could provide timely psychosocial support and, where necessary, connect teachers with specialised professionals and health facilities.
The wellbeing of teachers affects learners
The wellbeing of a teacher does not exist in isolation. Teachers interact with learners every day, and their emotional wellbeing can influence the classroom environment.
When teachers are adequately supported, they are better positioned to create safe, positive and productive learning environments. Supporting teachers’ mental health is therefore also part of supporting learners.
Prevention should be a priority
Mental-health services should not only be available when someone is already in crisis. TSC could use sub-county departments to introduce preventive programmes such as mental-health awareness sessions, stress-management workshops, peer-support programmes and regular wellbeing check-ins.
Such initiatives could help teachers recognise warning signs early and seek professional assistance when necessary.
The Commission could also establish clear referral pathways linking its sub-county structures with qualified psychologists, counsellors, psychiatrists and other appropriate health professionals. This would ensure that cases requiring specialised care receive the necessary attention.
Investing in teachers means investing in education
Kenya has invested heavily in improving education, including curriculum reforms, infrastructure and digital learning. However, the human beings responsible for delivering education must also receive adequate attention.
A teacher who feels supported and valued is better placed to give their best to learners. Mental-health support should therefore be considered an essential component of teacher welfare rather than an optional service.
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A call on TSC this World Teachers’ Day
World Teachers’ Day provides an opportunity to appreciate teachers, but appreciation should go beyond words. It should also involve practical measures that protect their wellbeing.
The establishment of a mental-health and psychosocial-support department in every TSC sub-county office would be an important step towards making teacher welfare more accessible and proactive.
The increasing mental-health challenges facing teachers demand a stronger and more coordinated response. TSC has an opportunity to use its existing structures and trained personnel to strengthen early identification, support and referral while establishing dedicated mental-health services closer to teachers.
With experienced educators within the Commission’s leadership, including Antonina Lentoijoni and Wilson Sossion, teachers can reasonably look to TSC for a stronger institutional response to the mental-health challenges affecting the profession.
Teachers spend their lives helping others cope, learn and grow. They, too, deserve a system that listens to them, supports them and helps them cope with the pressures of their profession.
This World Teachers’ Day, let us celebrate teachers not only by recognising what they do for society, but also by asking what society—and particularly TSC—can do to protect their wellbeing.
A healthy teacher is an important foundation for a healthy education system.
By Ben Chepchieng
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