Teachers who are victims of widespread bullying by principals are so stressed that they contemplate suicide.
This came out of a study done by two academics at North West University and published in the South African Journal of Education.
The study revealed that the bullying was not limited to principals. There was also colleague-on-teacher bullying and pupil-on-teacher bullying.
"But a number of investigations have found that teachers are more specifically victimised by school principals," reads the study, and male principals were identified as the "main bullies".
Teachers said their teaching experience and level of competence played a role in the bullying as their abilities caused envy in colleagues and principals.
"Our principal deliberately makes life a misery in school, especially towards teachers that outwit him in skills and knowledge. There are a few teachers who are more qualified than him," said one participant.
The study revealed that a number of teachers contemplated leaving the profession due to maltreatment.
"Principals also reportedly made unfair changes in victims' workload, initiating either a harsher workload, or delegating too little work to the targeted teacher.
"Principals also looked for reasons to lodge, or threatened to lodge, grievances against victimised teachers, for example, accusing them of stealing items, or of not performing their duties adequately."
The study revealed that bullied teachers suffered health problems as a result.
"Their personal health professionals reportedly diagnosed more than half of the participants in this study with some level of depression. Some teachers reported regular sadness and tearfulness."
Some said they had developed low self-esteem and felt worthless because of the workplace bullying.
"Some participants did not find solutions for their experiences and considered taking their own lives, or in extreme cases, have actually attempted suicide."
Some teachers, according to the study, are now obliged to take prescribed medicine and have taken long periods of sick leave.
President of National Professional Teachers' Organisation, Basil Manuel, said the union has had to intervene in cases of intimidation either between teachers or teachers with a principal.
He said in some cases teachers are bullied because they belong to a minority teachers' union.
macupeb@sowetan.co.za