Calls are growing for urgent reforms to better protect teachers’ mental health, as new accounts reveal the profession’s emotional strain is pushing some staff to breaking point—even as others believe school leadership can stem the tide.
While one veteran educator has warned that a lack of discipline and meaningful support for teachers could trigger a mental health crisis among staff—even if many continue to show up and perform under pressure—at least one principal argues that burnout can be avoided if schools foster the right environment.
The debate follows comments by counselling psychologist Dr Nicole Lynch, who has called for teacher well-being to be made a central part of school discipline reform. At the start of a two-day positive behaviour workshop for special educators, she described teaching as “inherently stressful” and warned that ongoing emotional strain, often compounded by student aggression, could push educators to their limits.
Lynch, who is currently assisting schools to implement tiered behavioural intervention models, said lasting change will require school-wide solutions.
Retired secondary school principal Jeff Broomes, who formerly led the Alexandra and Parkinson Memorial schools, told Barbados TODAY on Wednesday that the conditions for burnout are “real and building”.
“I think teacher burnout is real,” he said. “It all goes back to one thing… from the time we allowed our disciplinary status to drop. Nobody wants to stand up for what is disciplined and right and while teachers sometimes do things wrong and should be held to task about it, our children are allowed to get away with too much.”
Broomes said educators contend not only with classroom pressures but are also left exposed to political interference, confrontation from parents, and the wider public’s misunderstanding of their workload.
“Teachers have a lot on their hands and they go above and beyond trying to do their best for our children and country. But I don’t think they get the support they need.”
He cited teachers staying up late to mark papers and prepare reports as further evidence of their commitment, criticising the perception that teachers have an easy work schedule.
“I see people even complaining that teachers get too much vacation, which is nonsensical to me… I don’t know many people who have a more challenging job,” Broomes added, insisting that greater respect, discipline and acknowledgement of the pressures facing teachers are urgently needed.
He further warned that neglecting these issues could result in a wider mental and emotional fallout within the profession.
For one teacher currently in the system, the emotional toll has reached a breaking point.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY on condition of anonymity, the long-serving educator described the 2024–2025 academic year as the most mentally and physically draining of his career.
He said teachers are grappling with increasingly disruptive classrooms, diminished authority, and mounting demands that stretch far beyond teaching.
Noting that teachers have also been stripped of powers they once held, he explained that even basic expectations—such as students arriving prepared or engaging in class—have become difficult to enforce, and complaints to administrators often go unaddressed.
That, he said, leaves teachers not only managing their workload but also carrying the emotional burden of their students’ underperformance.
The distressed teacher said the burden extends beyond school hours, with teachers expected to take on additional duties, bring work home every evening, and return the next morning to the same stress, often without feeling recognised or supported.
The toll, he admitted, has been both emotional, with tears being shed in the staffroom. He revealed that a doctor recently diagnosed him as burnt out and prescribed medication to manage the effects. Still, he chose not to take sick leave, fearing the backlog of work would only worsen his condition.
He said the rising tide of student indiscipline, increasing administrative responsibilities and a lack of societal respect have pushed many teachers to their limit.
The teacher’s experience echoes the concerns raised by Dr Lynch and Broomes, underlining the urgent need for stronger, more consistent support systems for teachers across the education sector.
But Principal of Daryll Jordan Secondary School (DJSS), Ken Layne, offered a different view, arguing that the support teachers need should come from within the staffroom.
Although he acknowledged the pressures of the profession, Layne said burnout is not currently an issue at his school, thanks to proactive efforts by the leadership team.
“We’re very much on top of things in terms of going into classrooms, assisting teachers where necessary, and responding quickly to disciplinary matters,” Layne said, highlighting the administration’s commitment to being present, responsive and accessible to staff.
Measures in place include rotating class timetables to reduce teacher fatigue, allowing for informal flexibility, and organising whole-school activities such as picnics to build morale and foster community.
“Just the other day, I gave my staff the afternoon off,” he said. “My deputy and I supervised the students so they could get a break. Sometimes those small things make a big difference.”
While formal mental health days have not been taken recently, Layne said teachers are encouraged to request time off during high-stress periods and these requests are accommodated where possible.
Teachers also have access to the school’s guidance counsellor, and Layne said the Ministry of Education has responded whenever schools have experienced trauma, such as the recent death of a staff member.
Layne noted that key to supporting teacher well-being is “not waiting until someone reaches a breaking point”, and underscored the role school-level leadership can play.
“I think listening and being on the pulse of what’s happening in school is important,” he said, adding that DJSS also offers one-to-one sessions where teachers can share their concerns in a safe space.
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