Teacher's Day / Deepti Gupta
| मुखपृष्ठ » | रचनाकारों की सूची » | Writer: दीप्ति गुप्ता |
There was a time when teacher was considered as God. He was a god like figure as Kabirdas said - ‘Guru Govind to ek hain , duja yah aakar’. I am proud to say that India is the only country in the world to dedicate one whole day out of 365 days to teachers. But it is regrettable that today this noble profession is adversely affected with sordidness around and specially - growing corporatization. of education system. Today teachers feel sidelined. There is an unpleasant change in over all attitude. They are expected to host varied co-ordination activities apart from teaching. They have so much job pressure that they do not have any time to update their knowledge. They keep overloaded with thankless administrative duties.
Students, who do not secure good grades, their parents often accuse teachers for lack of knowledge, carelessness and favoritism. There freedom and right as a ‘Teacher’ is clipped. For this very reason today teachers are unable to develop the missing ‘teacher-pupil’ relationship which could safeguard modest interests of teaching & learning. But in today’s changing attitudes and spreading technilisation here, there & everywhere - humble strings have been left behind. I do agree that handful of teachers are also responsible for partially rotten student- teacher relationship but remaining committed and honest class of teachers should be given due respect and honour. Too much hype of students’ freedom & haughtiness who often hold their teachers responsible for their falling marks and not themselves and on the other hand, heavy pressure on teachers to accommodate with the allegations from parents, school management and public - these two things do not chime well with each other. Students expect friendly attitude from their teachers - that’s very good – but there should be a respectable line between the relationship otherwise it spoils the dignity of the profession. A teacher can be friendly without being lenient. There are teachers who know how to command respect without being lenient and without raising their voice. They shape up the personality of their students with care and compassion. In view of this liability teachers need to be given their space and right to execute caliber.
New age students are hundred times smarter and sharper as they have access to lots of information on the internet. Teaching is not the limit for them. Teacher’s lecture is not the last word for techno – savy students. Lately, India has become a multinational country due to the rush of international schools and affiliation with foreign institutes into it. This set up is taking place at breakneck speed. The cut throat competition among schools to allure admissions has been putting the onus on its teachers to give 100% result and be perfect at all the edges. All these demands & expectations are falling hard on teachers. They involve themselves with number of Workshops , online Libraries & Forums to update their knowledge. Now-a-days a teacher is not expected to deliver only theoretical lectures. Students demand latest information from their mentor. Teacher, who legs behind in the teacher-pupil competition or knowledge refreshing race - he is discarded. His real and true abilities with basic solid knowledge is ignored. Top of it, recently introduced ‘Right to Education’ Act has pushed teachers to corner because they are not allowed to punish mischievous, prank players and notorious students. Act has come up hard on teachers with multiple tough duties like – to introduce innovative teaching methods to help new crop of students catch-up with existing classmates, to create varied syllabus for one class as per the ability and grasping power of students, divided in 3- 4 categories. It is maddening and simply unmanageable. Teacher is a human being, not a super human being. If s/he does not have the caliber to establish a smooth link between odd rooms – s/he surrounded by constant fear of termination of her/his services.
I feel in the modern 21st century - the harmony, dignity and trust of this noble profession is lost. Teaching has been commercialized like many others corporate industrialized things. The undesirable change in the teaching world has pushed much negativity in it. Degeneration, defamation and deterioration - these three ‘Ds’ are pulling it to moral downfall which (morality) is the base of this profession for ages all over the world.
The need of the hour is to redefine & reestablish the missing and ignored dignity of teaching profession. Teachers should be given the regard and freedom to impart knowledge and values to their students with confidence and faith in themselves. They should not be pushed to adversities so ruthlessly that they get uninterested. They carry their job as a burden on them. At present the populace of teachers frustrated by the system, feel suffocated.
I wish this great profession should go to its previous strong roots of honour and harmony and so that carriers of this profession can give trustworthy responsible citizens from their class rooms to the nation. It is the teacher, who can make students understand the value of education and can contribute a lot of invaluable to students’ life. They can help inculcate in students, the values that they will live by in their life ahead.
