Subjective Wellbeing

The people who live in the communities that we serve face multiple and complex challenges and, while we can refer them to support services (the “r” in our c.a.r.e. model), our role is not to change their circumstances our role is to listen to them, support them and guide them as they choose to reframe the way they view their situation and their future – as they embark on their journey to wellbeing. We cannot measure the emotional wellbeing of someone but we do, at regular intervals, monitor the subjective wellbeing of educators (2024: twice a year) and learners (2024: quarterly), using the international standard WHO-5 index. We combine the individual scores in to a group score. Scores below 52% indicate a possible risk of depression and are investigated; interventions are planned and administered and the group is then reassessed. This monitoring process is valuable on many levels. It tracks progress, identifies hot spots and is an input in the process of planning and adjusting our themes and activities, The group score sheet is also a valuable document to share, once anonymised, with the school leadership so that can be part of a holistic response.

“Teacher wellness is important so I’m glad they take that into consideration and do team building sessions with the staff.” – EDUCATOR

In Term 1 of 2024, nine (9) of our 78 partner schools (1 596 educators) had an educator group score below 52% on the WHO5 subjective wellbeing index indicating a possible risk of depression. In Term 2, thirteen (13) of our 89 partner schools (1 872 educators) had an educator group-score below 52%. There were individual educators scoring in the “at risk” band, across the country, but all of these educator group scores below 52% were at schools in the Western Cape.

When we look at these graphs our response is curiosity: “I wonder what is happening here, I wonder what these graph are telling us.”  Since the data is anonymised, we can also share these graphs with our school committees and learner committees. Shared curiosity and shared ownership of wellbeing – with an added benefit of learners seeing real, live, relatable data and the practical application of interpretation.