The people who hold up the classroom deserve to be held, too.

Teachers give so much care to their students. This is a space to look past the lesson, to the person.

Teachers give so much care. They deserve some in return.

Their wellbeing shapes every classroom, and it is worth talking about.

They build societiesClassrooms shape the citizens, workers and neighbours a community depends on.
They carry knowledge forwardEach generation learns from the one before, and teachers are the link.
They parent for parentsMany fill gaps at home, offering the guidance and care a child needs.
They teach qualities and moralsHonesty, kindness and respect are learned alongside the lessons.
They build career pathsThey help young people find what they are good at and where it can lead.
They keep students safeTeachers watch over students’ wellbeing and safety every school day.

An enormous amount of workThe marking, planning and caring never quite end.
Long hours and high expectationsAlways more to give, with little time to recover.
A great deal of responsibilityFor children’s learning, behaviour and safety.
Little to no supportWhen things get hard, help is rarely close by. In Kenya, 70% of primary school teachers lack access to counselling.
Little training in looking after their own mental healthTeachers are trained to teach, rarely to cope.
Low salariesPay that does not match the weight of the job. In Kenya, 97% live from one paycheck to the next.
Feeling undervaluedToo rarely thanked, and too rarely recognised.

76%

of UK education staff say they feel stressed.

60%

of primary school teachers in Kenya experienced burnout in the past year.

70%

of primary school teachers in Kenya lack access to counselling services.

The UK figure is included for context. The Kenyan figures come from the After the Bell report.

Findings from a wellness study of primary school teachers in Kenya. Each number is a person in a classroom.

Wellness scores measure each area of teachers’ lives. The other percentages show the share of teachers affected.

The report’s interactive map explorer shows teacher data county by county: 10 maps across 44 counties, drawing on 875 teachers.

The Teachers’ Board is a website where students can submit anonymous, kind messages to their teachers. A few warm words can make a teacher’s day.

We run two surveys, one for teachers and one for students. Choose the one that fits you.

For teachers. Tell us about your experience.

For students. Share your perspective.

Follow along, share what you learn, and help us keep this conversation going.