The school turnaround

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday April 13, 2026 06:00

Schools should have faith in the efficacy of sound, inclusive, and engaging instructional practices.

There can never be a state in a school’s life in which problems are completely eradicated. Granted, all schools are swimming in a pool of problems, but what sets one school apart from the others is the attitude towards the issues at hand. Under the weight of problems, one school can succumb to the inevitable decline.

The other school, with the right attitude, facing similar circumstances, may elect to change its fortunes, turn the tide, and restore academic prosperity.

An indefatigable spirit characterises a thriving school, while a spirit of despondency, coupled with a lack of discernment, notoriously defines the character of a chronically low-achieving school. When under siege, schools have two choices: submit or fight.

Turnaround schools are a special breed of schools that understand the language of survival of the fittest. That is how to navigate a narrow path, how to negotiate what appears like the “waters of the strait of Hormuz” under enormous fire. Setting the foundation of a school on the path to a sustained culture of instructional excellence comes at a great cost. Sacrifices are made to achieve a greater good. Success is a consequence of selfless dedication to the cause. This is why the human element is critically vital in the execution of teaching and learning duties. Despite the availability of digital innovations in the teaching and learning industry, the human element cannot be divorced from teaching and learning.

Those who dream of a digitally dominated teaching environment with the human element playing a minimal role are dead wrong. Machines cannot give a distressed student a smile. Students are human beings, and so are their teachers. So steering the ship towards a pedagogically inclined direction is predominantly a human enterprise.

Human beings equipped with the right attitude have the power to downplay the problems that bedevil their schools and place emphasis on what is within their control. Human beings can choose to disregard issues outside their sphere of influence. A positive tone largely dominates a school’s desire to overcome its problems. Diverting energies to pedagogy and classroom matters is a human-driven agenda. It is a taxing and overwhelming process. It requires identifying and removing roadblocks and impediments. The first port of call is to take good care of the human element.

A happy school is a successful school. Raising a school’s happiness index should be the primary duty of the school principal and the central ministry. School principals and oversight bodies should place particular emphasis on mental health issues. Mental health issues are cross-cutting in nature as they do not spare anyone, regardless of age.

Both staff and students are equally affected and sometimes overwhelmed by issues that take away their peace and attention from instructional matters. The lives of teachers and students in and outside school should be a concern of the education system. School business requires undivided attention and loyalty.

Taking care of the well-being of students and teachers paves the way for a fulfilling and fun-filled classroom experience. Consequently, no school should make the grave mistake of downplaying or paying lip service to the well-being of the school community. It should be borne in mind that some of the students are parents too, carrying demanding and emotionally taxing responsibilities.

Responsibilities for their children, which could also stretch to their ailing and ageing parents. Students and teachers facing stressful circumstances come to school with divided attention and loyalties. Balancing the demands of their academic life and social responsibilities back at home is a daunting and overwhelming experience.

They need assistance in this regard. Apart from focusing on dispensing a good academic programme, schools have a responsibility to create supporting and nurturing school environments, intended to ease the worries of students and teachers while helping them to regain self esteem, dignity and confidence. No student should feel orphaned.

And no teacher deserves to be isolated when dealing with issues of mental health. A school should feel like a second home, a place of comfort and hope. In their wisdom, schools have created a form teacher position to offer support and care to students. Class teachers essentially shoulder parental responsibilities.

Students feel at ease discussing their depressing situations with their form teachers, and class teachers have a way of knowing their students and are able to detect and contain issues before they get out of control.

Teachers should enjoy support and comfort from oversight institutions. No teacher going through a divorce or financial stress should walk the terrain alone, unaided. Empathy should permeate the school management system. School should prioritise mental health to equip students and teachers with knowledge and skills enabling them to look after their well-being.