Mr X, the headmaster of a large school in a township, really has problems. He has always coped well in the past, but the rapid pace of change over the last few years is really getting him down. The rate at which policy has changed, the introduction of the new OBE approach to education and the Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS) are new and severe stressors. Many teachers feel that the goalposts are constantly being moved and that they are the ones that are being shunted around in the process. Many lack the resources to be able to cope with this which, in turn, puts a lot of stress on Mr X since he is accountable for the performance of his school.

Teachers and school managers are increasingly being held accountable to the public and the Department of Education for the lack of a culture of learning and the bad matric results. But what stresses Mr X the most is the lack of a culture of teaching among some of his staff. More is expected of him, but he does not get the support he needs from the staff and the parent community to be able to ‘produce the goods’. How can one uplift a school and a community in such circumstances?

And, to make it worse, the old stressors have by no means disappeared. There is still a shortage of facilities in his school and there is still a lack of discipline among the pupils. It seems as if Mr X's problems will never end. Recently he told his wife: ‘I've been really uptight for a long time. I can't sleep at night; I'm not interested in food; I feel my neck muscles are all tense and I have a splitting headache. I am jittery and anxious and it seems that I am constantly annoyed and irritable I think I am having a breakdown and need to see a doctor. I am definitely going to take a week off from work.’

Mr X did not share his biggest problem with his wife. The younger staff members are accusing him of an autocratic leadership style. What they are actually implying is that he is not a good leader They say that he is causing them stress because of this.