By Lebone Rodah Mosima
The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls (OWLAG) is placing mental health at the centre of education, with Head Social Worker Lebongang Maribe saying psycho-emotional wellbeing is essential for academic success, leadership development and personal growth.
Speaking to Inside Education, Maribe, who has led the academy’s social work unit for nearly a decade, said the school has embedded psycho-emotional wellbeing into everyday learning.
“Mental health concerns the state of well-being. Beyond taking care of your physical health by eating well and looking after your body, you also need to take care of your psycho-emotional wellbeing,” she said.
As a trauma-informed school, OWLAG recognises that trauma affects brain development, teaching and learning, she said.
“We understand that if a learner is struggling with mental health challenges, there won’t be an uptake. They won’t be able to retain information or even concentrate in class because of the emotional and psychological struggles they are experiencing,” Maribe said.
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She said emotional wellbeing, leadership and academic performance are closely linked, with learners taught self-awareness and emotional regulation as core leadership skills.
“As leaders, they need to know how to respond appropriately in different situations. We teach our girls to recognise their triggers because if you know what triggers you, you are better able to manage it,” she said.
When learners find themselves in emotionally challenging situations, they are encouraged to step away, regain composure and then re-engage.
Maribe also addressed the stigma surrounding mental health in many black communities, where it is often confused with mental illness.
“Mental health is about mental well-being and taking care of yourself. Mental illness is something different. We need open conversations, especially with parents, so they understand the importance of investing in their children’s mental wellbeing,” she said.
“It’s not only about academics. If a child says, ‘I’m not okay, Mum,’ parents need to understand what that means.”
She said African cultural attitudes often discourage young people from admitting they are emotionally overwhelmed, with many fearing they will be seen as disrespectful simply for asking for a break.
Maribe said supporting learners requires a partnership between schools and parents.
“The school cannot do it alone without parents’ contribution,” she said.
At OWLAG, learners receive lessons on brain development, trauma, stress responses and emotional regulation alongside their academic programme.
“We teach them to understand themselves, recognise their triggers and we provide wraparound support. We don’t only focus on academics,” she said.
As a boarding school, she said, learners spend most of their time together, making emotional support an important part of daily life.
The school encourages learners to openly discuss their emotions and seek help when needed.
“If they’re feeling like they’re not coping, we normalise taking care of themselves rather than focusing only on academics,” she said.
“We teach emotional regulation, meditation, and other techniques.”
Working with adolescents also requires recognising that they are still developing their identities, Maribe said.
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She said staff place strong emphasis on modelling healthy behaviour through mentoring.
“We model healthy behaviour because if we pretend sadness doesn’t exist, we are modelling something that’s not true,” she said.
“We also normalise failure by asking, ‘What can you learn from failing?’ Failure is another step in life because it helps learners grow.”
OWLAG’s wellness team includes social workers, nurses and psychologists, supported by teachers trained to recognise trauma-related behaviours, including dissociation in the classroom.
“That’s our support system,” she said.
Maribe acknowledged that many learners face difficult circumstances outside school, while government support services remain overstretched.
To strengthen support, the academy regularly engages parents through meetings and information sessions.
“Our educators are trained to identify when a learner is not coping or behaving differently. They understand that behaviour is a form of communication,” she said.
She added that many learners arrive with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), requiring a trauma-informed approach that also builds resilience.
The school promotes peer mentoring through leadership committees, with adult mentors guiding student leaders who, in turn, support fellow learners.
“The adult mentor guides the committee, and the committee mentors their peers,” she said.
Maribe stressed that emotional regulation is a prerequisite for effective learning.
“We ensure our girls are well-regulated, feel safe, feel heard and feel attended to before teaching can happen,” she said.
“We understand that to access the higher reasoning part of the brain, the brain stem needs to be calm.”
She called for greater government investment in school-based mental health programmes, warning that untreated anxiety, depression and trauma continue to undermine learners’ educational outcomes.
“If we don’t invest in learners’ wellbeing, we see the consequences. Anxiety, depression and poor academic performance follow,” she said.
Maribe said integrating mental health into subjects such as Life Orientation would help learners better understand their emotions and reduce stigma.
“Children experiencing trauma often operate in survival mode. Some come from dysfunctional families affected by violence and instability,” she said.
“There’s a lot impacting them. We need to invest in helping them understand themselves, speak out and seek assistance.”
INSIDE EDUCATION
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