‘They are learning in fear’: Warning after student teacher attacked by pupil

Following the recent assault of a student teacher in Bloemfontein in the Free State, an academic has warned that practical training should never end at a police station.

Student teacher assaulted by pupil

The 21-year-old student teacher, Masego Mogorosi, was allegedly attacked by 22-year-old pupil, Phemelo Mochoari, a week ago in an incident captured on video. The pupil is currently facing a charge of common assault

Dr Nasaret Ruswa, a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum Studies and Higher Education at the University of the Free State (UFS), argues that the attack on Mogorosi highlights the often-overlooked dangers many student teachers encounter while completing compulsory teaching practice requirements.

The incident occurred after Mogorosi, a UFS Bloemfontein campus student, had completed her placement duties at Lekgulo Secondary School in Rockland, Bloemfontein, and was headed home.

For Ruswa, the attack is not merely an isolated criminal incident but a reflection of the difficult realities many student teachers must navigate as they prepare to enter the profession.

She notes that teaching practice is widely regarded as a critical bridge between theory and classroom experience, allowing student teachers to develop confidence, gain practical skills and begin forming their professional identities.

‘Personal safety not guaranteed’

However, Ruswa argues that far less attention was paid to the circumstances under which many practical students were expected to complete these placements.

She points out that while some student teachers are assigned to schools in relatively secure environments, others start their day before sunrise, relying on multiple taxi trips and long walks through unfamiliar communities where personal safety cannot be guaranteed.

According to Ruswa, teaching practice often begins not with lesson preparation but with assessing risk.

“Teaching practice begins long before the first lesson. It begins with calculating risk,” she states.

She said many student teachers travel while remaining constantly alert, clutching their bags tightly and worrying about harassment, theft or violent attacks.

Despite these concerns, Ruswa said, they have little choice but to continue because teaching practice was a mandatory requirement for graduation.

Violence at schools

She places the Bloemfontein incident within the broader context of increasing violence directed at educators in South Africa.

Ruswa cites reports indicating that concerns about safety have become a significant issue within the teaching profession.

She references reports published earlier this year which found that nearly half of SA teachers were considering leaving the profession due to violence, exhaustion and deteriorating working conditions.

Other reports recorded dozens of teacher assault cases within the first few months of the year alone.

“These reports point to a troubling possibility: future teachers are entering a profession that many current teachers are already questioning,” Ruswa states.

She points out that violence in and around schools was no longer only a concern for experienced educators but was increasingly shaping the perceptions and experiences of those still training to become teachers.

Beyond the physical injuries suffered during such incidents, Ruswa highlights the emotional and psychological consequences for victims. Student teachers who experience violence must often seek medical attention, open criminal cases and provide statements to police while simultaneously managing university assignments, lectures and teaching practice obligations.

Ruswa has also questioned how many similar incidents go unreported because students fear retaliation, academic disruption or a lack of confidence in the justice system.

“Meanwhile, perpetrators often continue with their lives while victims carry the burden of fear, anxiety, humiliation and trauma,” she argued.

Ruswa lamented that one of the most disturbing aspects of the recent incident was that many were not surprised by it, warning that society risked normalising the idea that violence and vulnerability are simply part of becoming a teacher.

“It should not,” she stressed.

She called for greater attention to the environments in which student teachers learn and work, questioning whether institutions and society are doing enough to ensure their safety.

“We assess their ability to teach… but how often do we consider the conditions under which they are expected to learn?” she asked.