Grade 1 teacher shares how she has a class of 53 students
Teacher Landi asks the people of South Africa how the Department of Education expects teachers to work with 50+ students in a class.
As back-to-school stories flood social media, the focus has been on the kids. But what about the teachers?
Teacher Landi, a Gauteng Grade 1 teacher, has raised concerns about overcrowded classrooms in public schools.
With a growing class of 53 learners, she’s struggling to provide enough seating, resorting to borrowing tables and chairs from Grade R classes.
Over a week ago, she shared a video highlighting these challenges. Teacher Landi blatantly asked social media users: "What’s up with the education system? Why doesn’t our government take education seriously?"
Watch the video below – courtesy of TikTok.
@teacherlandi #tiktoksouthafrica #teachersoftiktok #teacherlandi #teacherthings #bestteacher ♬ original sound - Landi
Teacher Landi looked defeated as she acknowledged that some teachers had more than 53 students. What truly shocked her was a comment from another teacher who revealed she had 95 learners in her class.
At first, she thought the teacher, known as Gugu and Summer on TikTok, was joking. But the reality was even worse – Teacher Gugu revealed that due to a shortage of classrooms, they were forced to cram nearly 100 students into a single room, with three learners sharing one desk.
She also highlighted that they are short-staffed: "I fit three learners in one desk. We have no classrooms and are understaffed, but according to the department, we are 'enough'."
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Image Courtesy of TikTok