Well-being as Freedom: What the Capability Approach Offers Teachers

On 6 August 2026, I had the privilege of addressing a room of Life Orientation teachers in KwaZulu-Natal on the topic “Mental health and well-being: What every teacher should know.” It was a genuine exchange — as much an opportunity to learn as it was to share.

In my talk, I focused on two themes that sit at the heart of teacher and learner well-being: the mental health and well-being of learners and teachers in South Africa, and the capabilities of both.

Rethinking well-being: from a clinical lens to a capability-based approach

I began by exploring the vital link between mental well-being and academic success, and I made the case for shifting away from a purely clinical focus toward a capability-based approach.

Human flourishing, I argued, is more often obstructed by structural barriers than by individual failings. When a learner struggles, the honest question is not only "what is wrong with this child?" but "what stands in the way of this child thriving?" That reframing asks educators to attend to contextual factors — safety, belonging, and resources — rather than locating every problem inside the individual.

To give teachers a practical roadmap, I identified four pillars for fostering agency in their students: attention, connection, insight, and purpose. These are not abstractions; they are the everyday conditions under which young people begin to act on their own behalf.

I did not shy away from the specific pressures of the South African education system — high learner-to-teacher ratios, infrastructure deficits, and management challenges all shape what is possible in a classroom. My conclusion was that true equity means removing these systemic hurdles so that both teachers and learners have the genuine freedom to achieve their goals. And crucially, well-being is a collective responsibility, and it starts with the educator's mental health.

The capability approach as a tool for Life Orientation teachers

The second takeaway was that Life Orientation teachers can use the capability approach to move beyond individual instruction and address the systemic barriers embedded in the education system itself.

Meaningful learner progress is often hindered by structural conversion factors — the low status of the subject, and a lack of institutional support — that no teacher can solve in isolation. These challenges call for collective solutions rather than solitary effort.

To meet them, educators need to cultivate a robust professional identity and take part in collaborative learning communities that strengthen their own agency. Joining professional associations, and securing the backing of principals and parents, can help transform the school environment from the inside out. By working on these embedded structural and systemic hurdles, teachers are far better placed to empower their learners toward genuine freedom and well-being.

With thanks

I want to thank Mr Jean Stidworthy, Director: Marketing and Student Recruitment at North-West University, and his team — not only for creating opportunities to develop Life Orientation teachers, but also for organising an excellent event that gave all of us the chance to learn.

Thank you, too, to Mr Jabu Sithole, Manager for Activation and Sponsorship at the NWU, for making sure I was in the right place at the right time in Durban.

In the photo, I am pictured with Jabu Sithole and Jean Stidworthy.

Watch and download

● Watch a short video about the mental health and well-being of Life Orientation teachers here.

● Watch a video about using the capability approach here.

● Download the slideshow here.