½¿É«µ¼º½

Teacher wellbeing is not a luxury or personal benefit – it is the invisible infrastructure of every successful education system. Yet too often, it is ignored, under-resourced, or reduced to token gestures. If the wellbeing of educators continues to be sidelined, then educational reforms – however well intended – will fail. We must stop painting the surface and start nurturing the roots. The goal is not just to highlight the importance of teacher wellbeing but to build the conditions in which it can grow.

Too many education systems focus on performance targets while neglecting the people who make them possible. Constant changes in curriculum, assessment and technology are introduced to improve results. But who is expected to implement them? Teachers. And how are tired educators expected to change habits and quickly adapt to each new initiative? Their exhaustion shows up in two harmful ways. In some countries, it appears as absenteeism – teachers leaving the profession or taking extended leave due to stress and burnout. By 2030, the global education system is expected to face a shortage of 44 million teachers (UNESCO, 2024). In others, it takes the form of presenteeism – teachers who are physically present but emotionally disconnected, going through the motions without energy or support to fully engage. This is harder to notice but deeply harmful to morale and student learning. This is not just a staffing issue – it’s a crisis of wellbeing.

‘How are tired educators expected to change habits and quickly adapt to each new initiative?’

As Schein (2017) reminds us, organisational culture operates on multiple levels – from visible practices to unspoken beliefs. The lily pond captures this beautifully: the flowers and leaves on the surface represent what schools say they value – posters, surveys, CPD days. But beneath the surface lies the real story: the water and roots symbolise the underlying norms, workload expectations, and how teachers are treated. If the water is toxic or the roots are weak, no amount of surface-level care will help the lilies bloom. Genuine support for teacher wellbeing must go deeper than slogans – it must reach into the culture that shapes their daily experience.

When these levels are misaligned – when messages about wellbeing contradict daily experience – trust erodes, morale crumbles and burnout takes root. Teacher wellbeing is not what’s written in policy. It’s what’s felt in corridors, staffrooms and classrooms. To support it, we must go beneath the surface – to the systems that shape how teachers are valued and treated.

This needs a shift in thinking. Teacher wellbeing is not about personal strength or individual resilience. It is a shared, systemic condition shaped by broader education systems – how time is allocated, workloads managed and autonomy respected. When wellbeing is embedded in school life, teachers thrive. When ignored or reduced to symbolic actions, teachers suffer.

This is not only a moral issue – it is a practical one. Teacher wellbeing is tied to student wellbeing, academic results and school success. The teacher is the heartbeat of learning. As Hargreaves & Fullan (2012) argue, when the classroom door closes, the teacher is more powerful than the principal, the president or the prime minister. Reform can’t be done to teachers or for them. It must be done with them.

Yet many systems still treat teachers as passive recipients of change. They’re expected to implement reforms they didn’t help design, under conditions they can’t control, while absorbing the emotional toll of every new demand. We praise their dedication but ignore their exhaustion. We celebrate their strength, but let the system wear them down.

‘We praise teachers’ dedication but ignore their exhaustion. We celebrate their strength, but let the system wear them down.’

Some nations offer better examples. Finland and Singapore, often praised for strong student outcomes, stand out not for more reform but for how they nurture and support their teachers (Hargreaves & Fullan, 2012). They prioritise manageable workloads, professional trust and time for reflection. Meanwhile, many countries remain stuck in ‘wellbeing theatre’ – a performance of care with no meaningful change beneath it.

If we’re to reform education without breaking the teachers, we need more than slogans. We need a system-wide transformation that puts wellbeing at its core. One where care is not just spoken but lived. One where the foundations are as strong as the outcomes are visible.

As Schein’s lily pond reminds us: painting the surface won’t restore wellbeing. If we want teachers to flourish, we must change the conditions they grow in – not just decorate what’s visible.

References

Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Teachers College Press.

Schein, E. H. (2017). Organizational culture and leadership (5th ed.). Wiley.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO]. (2024). Global report on teachers.