The expression ‘teacher burnout’ depicts a profound professional malaise. It affects not only the immediate victims (the teachers suffering from the burnout effect) but also the pupils, the administration and parents who have entrusted their wards to these teachers. While some teachers openly admit that they are undergoing a difficult phase in their professional life, others take a longer time to realize they are actually experiencing burnout.

Stress and burnout is an occupational hazard which all members of helping professions are exposed to, including teachers. Hendrickson (1979) defines teacher burnout as "physical, emotional, and attitudinal exhaustion" that begins with a feeling of uneasiness and mounts as the joy of teaching begins to gradually slip away. Although the symptoms of burnout may be very personal, they are generally "lack of" symptoms (McGee-Cooper, 1990). The list includes lack of energy, joy, enthusiasm, satisfaction, motivation, interest, zest, dreams for life, ideas, concentration, and self-confidence.

Surprisingly, many teachers surveyed in Mauritius were not aware about this phenomenon. Others had some vague notion about it while some had read a little about it. Allowing such a situation to continue unchecked can be as harmful to the teachers as to the administration, students, parents and the educational system at large. Still, very few have dared to highlight this problem in concerned quarters.

Causes of stress
Many teachers find the demands of being a professional educator in today's schools difficult and at times stressful. When work stress results in teacher burnout, it can have serious consequences for the health and happiness of teachers, and also the students, professionals, and families they interact with on a daily basis.

For instance, a negative report by an inspector, an unpleasant comment by the head of school or the failure to meet certain professional targets may have far reaching consequences at the level of the teachers’ psyche. Many teachers go through hours of rumination, monologues and mental debates, sometimes in self recrimination and live with a guilt feeling.
Symptoms of stress in teachers can include anxiety and frustration, impaired performance, and ruptured interpersonal relationships at work and home (Kyriacou, 2001). Researchers (Lecompte & Dworkin, 1991; Farber, 1998; Troman & Woods, 2001) note that teachers who experience stress over long periods of time may experience what is known as burnout.

However, according to research carried out in Mauritian Primary and Secondary schools, the causes of stress and burnout are:

• Dictatorial heads of school
• Too much of parental influence in the daily work of teachers
• Victimisation by heads of school, or the educational system
• Lack of  professional recognition
• Backbiting by colleagues
• Inability to cope with professional responsibilities
• Too much of pressure at home (kids’ exams, financial problems, chronic health problems etc)
• Inability to cope with turbulent pupils.
• Inability to meet deadlines-correction of exam papers, reports etc.
• Managing work and MIE or other courses at the same time.

However, it is quite surprising that other interesting reasons for burnout were noted in the research carried out in Mauritius. They are namely:

• Some teachers have other part time responsibilities (too much of private tuition, part time business as those who own shops, video clubs, restaurants, contract vans or who work for Insurance Companies or Computer agencies etc)
• Political involvement (especially when the party is in the opposition and or there is political victimisation)
• Frustration when junior colleagues make it to the top (very often because they are better qualified)
• The work becomes too repetitive and monotonous, doing the same thing for twenty or twenty five years, sitting at the same place, meeting and talking with the same people.
• Stressful company-some people are very good at fuelling a burnout phase in a burnout-prone teacher.  
• Abrupt transfer from one school to another (very often called punitive transfer)
• Vices ( alcoholism, drugs, gambling etc)
• Domestic problems like divorce, extra marital affairs, delinquent children etc.
• Tragedy (loss of a close relative, family member etc).
While there may be some differences in the findings of the research carried out in America and Mauritius, there are also common problems faced by teachers overseas and locally.

It is interesting to note that burnout is a phenomenon which exists in other professions also. Albee (2000), one of the pioneers of prevention research, points out that, "It is accepted public health doctrine that no disease or disorder has ever been treated out of existence" (p. 847). It is far better if the roots of teacher burnout are identified and eliminated before the syndrome develops, rather than treating it after it has already occurred. Preventative interventions may either be done at the organizational level, with changes in the school environment, or at the individual level, in which the goal is to strengthen teachers' resources for resisting stress.

In Mauritius, in the absence of the official recognition of the phenomenon, it would be puerile to talk about any official remedies or solutions. Nonetheless, teachers and heads of schools can play a vital role in i) understanding the problem by being conscious about its symptoms, ii) creating an atmosphere where those who need support are given some attention.  When asked what schools might do to help relieve teacher stress, the most frequently mentioned strategies (in ranked order of importance) were:

• Allowing time for teachers to collaborate/talk,
• Providing more workshop/in-service/advanced courses,
• Providing more verbal praise/reinforcement/respect for the job,
• Providing more support,
• Providing more paraprofession-als/support staff/clerical assistance,
• Providing more educational opportunities to learn about students with behavioural disorders and programme options,
• Building better communication and decision-making involvement with administrators/heads of school.

Conclusion
In Mauritius, it is high time that teacher burnout was given due attention. The most serious impact of teacher burnout may be felt by our children. Heads of school should be alert to such problems and should be the first ones to extend the helping hand to those who are victims of burnout, to provide the soothing balms as and when needed, and to care for their staff. However, it is important to stress that even heads of schools suffer from chronic burnout periods depending upon the conditions of service and the attitudes of the staff, pupils and parents. A strong sense of solidarity, mutual trust and understanding can help in enlivening the workplace environment and ensuring that fewer people ever face burnout and if some do face it, then there is a culture of support and care.

In Mauritius, the outcomes of burnout resemble those of their American counterparts but have their own ‘local’ specificities like

• Work at school is neglected-exercise books are not checked or corrected
• Syllabus is not completed
• Absenteeism
• Quality of relationship with pupils, colleagues and superiors deteriorates
• Lack of involvement in curricular and extra curricular activities at school.
• Loss of self control, lack of dynamism, shunning the company of others, easy irritation, exercising corporal punishment on pupils, using vulgar language.
• Escape through alcohol and other such things.

Very often the victim of burnout further renders his or her situation more complicated. There is an absence of sharing culture in Mauritius. No sooner does one teacher start with his or her problems, than other colleagues display a long catalogue of their own problems, hence failing to listen to the outcry of succour. Others feel ashamed to talk about what they are undergoing because of ego.