Narratives of teachers’ experiences of structural violence in farm schools in Mpumalanga, South Africa

Structural violence is often overlooked when exploring school violence and its consequences for teaching and learning. However, it is the deadliest form of violence that breeds direct and cultural violence. It accounts for inequalities in access to educational opportunities, healthcare, and poverty. Against this backdrop, this study explores teachers’ experiences of structural violence in farm schools. Situated within the interpretivism paradigm, I employed narrative inquiry as a research methodology to inquire about teachers’ lived experiences of structural violence within the farm school context. Four teachers were purposively selected to participate in this study. I employed focus group interviews as an instrument of generating data; focus group interviews allowed participants to collectively narrate their experiences of structural violence during their teaching career. The study reveals that teachers and learners in farm schools are victims of structural violence observed through dilapidated school infrastructure, asbestos roofings, overcrowding, and high levels of learner dropout. Due to the low enrolment rate, teachers are overloaded with work, resulting in fatigue and emotional exhaustion. This reinforces the existing inequalities in terms of educational and life opportunities of learners receiving their education in farm schools. Given that South Africa is still grappling with the legacy of apartheid.