In the corridors of education, where chalk dust mingles with dreams and every lesson carries the potential to shape a future, one expects merit, dedication, and integrity to reign supreme. Yet behind the closed doors of staffrooms, another force quietly thrives — school politics. Subtle but corrosive, it undermines the careers of even the most hardworking teachers and chips away at the dignity of the profession.
For many educators, the classroom is sacred ground. They pour countless hours into preparing lessons, designing assignments, and nurturing children to discover their potential. The joy of watching a hesitant learner grow into a confident achiever is what fuels their perseverance. But too often, their devotion remains unnoticed when promotions, recognition, or responsibilities are dictated not by merit but by alliances, favouritism, and shifting networks. In such an environment, hard work becomes a silent struggle rather than a celebrated virtue. The damage caused by politics in schools is rarely explosive, but its effects are relentless. A teacher who dares to innovate may find her methods dismissed — not because they fail students, but because they disrupt the comfort of those unwilling to change.
A colleague who labours tirelessly for student competitions may see someone better connected walk away with the credit. Gossip and whispered rivalries seep through staffrooms like ink on blotting paper, corroding reputations that took years to build. These battles are not fought openly but through quiet exclusions and subtle manoeuvres that slowly wear teachers down.
The tragedy deepens when we realise that the consequences extend far beyond individuals. Every time a dedicated teacher is sidelined, demoralised, or forced to leave, students lose a mentor who might have transformed their lives. A classroom suffers when the teacher standing at the front carries not only lesson plans but also the weight of political manoeuvrings.
Innovation is stifled, mediocrity takes root, and schools — meant to symbolise fairness and learning — turn into arenas of petty power struggles. Many stories circulate of educators who entered teaching brimming with zeal and vision, eager to introduce creative practices, only to discover that their enthusiasm unsettled the system. Some dim their brilliance just to “fit in,” while others grow weary and walk away. Both outcomes represent a profound loss — not just for the teachers themselves but for generations of students who could have thrived under their guidance.
Favouritism is often at the heart of this culture, where personal loyalty outweighs qualifications and competence. Senior roles are handed to those who curry favour, not those who earn respect. The result is resentment, division, and suspicion. Instead of being united by the mission of education, teachers find themselves split into camps, focused more on survival than on teaching. The noble purpose of education is eclipsed by small rivalries, and the cost of this dysfunction is immense. If schools are to reclaim the dignity of teaching, they must embrace fairness and transparency.
Merit must matter more than connections; collaboration must replace cliques. Such reforms demand courage, but the alternative is grim — a system where those entrusted with shaping young minds are themselves stifled. At its core lies a simple truth: when politics thrives in schools, it is not only teachers’ careers that are damaged but the very future of education that is put at risk.
The writer is an educator and a councillor
