Various teachers from schools across Ekurhuleni were hosted by Laerskool Werda in Springs on October 17 for a health and wellness sports tournament. The event was organised by the Department of Education in the Gauteng East District.

Over 300 teachers participated in a variety of sports, including aerobics, soccer, netball, volleyball, and indoor activities such as chess, table tennis, and darts, with a touch of an indigenous game, morabaraba.

As part of the entertainment, fresh from the school band nationals in Durban, the Springs Boys High School band wowed the crowd.

Speaking to the Brakpan Herald, Golden Ndlamlenze, a teacher from Quantum Secondary School and one of the facilitators, said such tournaments are important for teachers.

“These events are aimed at keeping teachers healthy and promoting their well-being as part of stress relief. We communicated with the teachers that we are interested in doing it for their well-being, and they also showed interest in being part of the tournaments.

“The teachers benefit a lot, both mentally and physically, by partaking in a tournament like this because it allows them to be free and also keep fit,” Ndlamlenze explained.

He added that the department should organise more of these tournaments due to the health benefits. The organiser, Maria Marothi, told the publication that the games played at the tournament are a means of releasing stress among employees, as part of overall employee well-being, which enhances morale and productivity in the workplace.

“The department coordinates such activities to guarantee officials that they are supported and well taken care of as they perform their daily duties,” she said.

Marothi expressed gratitude to the teachers who participated and also thanked Laerskool Werda for hosting the event.

“We want the teachers to know that as a department we are there for them, and this is one of the ways to show that we care about their well-being,” she concluded.