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A teachers’ union has accused the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) of failing to comprehensively address  the deteriorating mental health among the educators which is threatening to compromise the quality of education in the country.

Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) estimates that in the last two years, 60 teachers have committed suicide while  30 per cent of tutors in Kenya continue to exhibit signs of depression and anxiety.

The union said that the statistics are pointing to the severity of the problem which calls for the establishment of a comprehensive support system since mental health challenges among teachers have a direct negative effect on the education outcome among learners.

“Mental illness whether it is depression or anxiety is leading to poor quality of education and records have shown that many teachers are not visiting institutions to be helped. There is a mental wellness department at the Teachers Service Commission but records show that many teachers don’t visit it because some of the mental issues emanate from the employer,” KEWOTA Chief Executive Officer Benta Opande said.

Suffering psychologically

Opande further warned that the delayed closure of schools will further worsen the mental status of some teachers who find solace in the classroom urging the Ministry of Education to expedite the opening of schools. “Even with these prolonged school holidays, some teachers are suffering psychologically because the best place they can be is with their students. The faster the school can open the better so that the mental issues that are going to be related to this closure are curbed like abuse of drugs and unplanned pregnancies,” she stated.

KEWOTA boss spoke yesterday in a media briefing to announce a forthcoming mental health awareness walk meant to sensitize the public about the issues among the teachers and the students.

The inaugural event is scheduled to take place at the Ulinzi Stadium on May 26 bringing together educators, students, corporate firms and stakeholders in the education sector. “Through this collective effort, we aim to break the silence surrounding mental health among teachers, promote open dialogue and ultimately pave the way for tangible solutions that will reduce and eliminate mental health among teachers,” she said.

She went on: “The walk will also seek to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental health issues and the importance of seeking help early enough when needed.  This walk will further break the stigma surrounding mental illness and promote well-being in the teaching fraternity”

KEWOTA aims to hold the walk annually in order to raise funds to build a comprehensive health complex dedicated to addressing mental health challenges within the teaching profession “We intend to establish a teacher-friendly institution that teachers can associate with. We want to open the discussion and put a teachers’ face on this pandemic, which could turn into a national disaster if unchecked,” Opande explained.

She said that the union reached out to all counties to support them in establishing centres where teachers can get mental health-related assistance.

 “Before we can establish the institution, we shall rent space where the same services we will provide shall be available for teachers. We shall be providing services where a teacher walks in, they are assessed by professionals then taken to the department where they can get support depending on the root cause of the problem, whether it is for Gender-Based Violence or financial problems,” she said.