The Education Conversations is an initiative by Kagiso Trust, the University of Johannesburg’s Faculty of Education and BRIDGE. Established in 2012 as a platform for education stakeholders and society at large to engage on issues critical to the further development and improvement of education, this dialogue series encourages open discussion and enables diverse voices to be heard.

The current landscape has seen teachers becoming victims of abuse and violence from learners, parents and society in general. The conversation explored some of the contributory factors and suggested ways of addressing the challenges that teachers are experiencing. This overview highlights the main issues and themes discussed, to give a sense of the perspectives and concerns of the panel and audience.