Education policy-making in South Africa during COVID-19

Scholarship on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on education has focused primarily on learners (Vaughn, Sayed and Cooper, 2021; Spaull et al., 2020) and the widening of existing educational inequalities (Schleicher, 2020). Few studies have considered the effects COVID-19 has had on teachers, which makes this study’s contribution relevant and essential (Sayed et al., 2021). The literature on teaching during times of crisis has demonstrated that teachers can act as a buffer and mitigate many of the adverse effects that result from conflict and crises-ridden contexts (INEE, 2020). However, teachers need to feel more valued, as this will contribute to their positive sense of well-being and their ability to persist. This paper illuminates the experiences of teachers who work in challenging contexts in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It contributes to the knowledge on teachers’ experiences of crisis and instability in the Global South. The paper suggests that teachers, as front-line workers in crisis situations, should be granted autonomy and agency in their education choices and delivery methods