Academic offers mental health support to education assistants placed at North West schools
As Phase 5 of the Basic Education Employment Initiative (BEEI) prepares to place thousands of young education assistants in schools across South Africa, support for their mental and emotional well-being is coming into sharper focus. In the North West province, an academic from the North-West University (NWU) is stepping in to provide such support to the 1 326 assistants allocated to the province.
Dr Khido Ramadie, a mental health counsellor and academic in the NWU's Faculty of Education, is working closely with the North West Provincial Department of Education to offer mental health and wellness support to the province's youth education assistants.
'These young assistants are often caught between being learners and authority figures,' says Dr Ramadie. 'That can lead to identity challenges, self-doubt and social isolation, especially in unfamiliar school environments.'
BEEI Phase 5, scheduled to begin in June 2025, forms part of the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. It provides job opportunities to young people while easing the workload on educators. However, the psychological toll on participants has drawn increasing attention.
'Many of them experience anxiety, burnout and financial stress due to delayed or inconsistent stipends,' says Dr Ramadie. 'Support must be holistic, covering emotional care, financial literacy, physical wellness and a sense of belonging.'
Her services include wellness workshops, peer support structures and access to counselling. The initiative also promotes physical health through education on nutrition, managing fatigue and encouraging balanced workloads to reduce absenteeism.
'We are not addressing mental health in isolation,' she explains. 'We are creating a framework that equips youth to cope in demanding school settings and develop personally while contributing meaningfully to the education sector.'
Using research-informed methods, Dr Ramadie and her team will monitor participant well-being throughout the programme, providing data-driven insights to inform support strategies.
'This is about more than just filling posts,' she says. 'It's about ensuring that those who are placed in schools are emotionally and physically ready to make a lasting impact.'
As BEEI Phase 5 gets under way, the focus is shifting from placement alone to sustainable support, ensuring that those who are hired are also heard.
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