Teacher's Day 2014

Teacher’s Day and Guru Pournima have similar significance in Indian society, even though there is a difference between a Guru and a Teacher. Over the years the significance is undergoing a change and that is obvious as both the teachers and the students have changed in this period. Is this change due to changing culture or changing socio-economic situation or is simply a change in attitude? Has technological advance impacted or augmented this change process? There can be multiple reasons and all these can be debated endlessly. Fact remains there is a remarkable change in both the teachers and the students. I am aware that being a teacher myself some of my colleagues may not like my views and some of my students may hate me for my frankness. Does this also not reflect the change?

The teachers like Dhondo Keshav Karve, Ravindranath Tagore and many more I studied in history books or teachers like Chitale master portrayed by PL Deshpande or writings of Sane Guruji that I read in Marathi literature have been a shade different from the teachers who taught me. So there was certainly a change in middle of last century when I attended school. After I got in to corporate world I lost touch with these pillars of the noble profession. Occasionally I could meet teachers of my children in the later part of last century and I could sense the change may be due to influence of ideology of the institution that they worked for.

Institutional ideologies took precedence. Imparting education has become a lucrative business and thus there is change in the attitude. In present times imparting education is a transaction between service provider and service taker. In such commercial transaction the zone of tolerance is bound to exist and that too a narrow one. Many of the educational institutions are run as a business by politicians. It is understandable if qualified businesspersons enter the politics, but implications can be catastrophic if  unqualified politicians enter business and that too business of education. Is this the reason why educational institutions have become a mass production unit to churn out graduates without any concern about the quality? This can be one of the reasons why students have lost respect for their teachers and teachers have least concern about the students.

These mass production units are on expansion spree. This year’s record vacancies in management and engineering colleges is a reflection of the unmindful expansion of intake capacity. The colleges that had capacity of sixty students have added few hundred additional seats. To get the approval, these colleges have to recruit teaching staff as per the norms of the regulatory authorities. But where do you get quality teachers? They are not the product of mass production. Good teachers are born not made. The teachers in the earlier era did not go in for M.Phil., Ph. D. or B.Ed or similar degrees, yet they were outstanding. They had the attitude to teach, to impart knowledge, and they were devoted. These teachers did not strike the work, boycott exams or valuation nor did they demand salaries as per recommendations of pay commission. These teachers never refused to teach for nonpayment of fees but at times they helped the needy students and that’s the difference. How can the teachers who have no attitude to teach or those who have a commercial attitude can ever command respect from the students? I feel there is a need for introspection. What is the difference between a politician who enters the politics for personal gains without concern for those who have reposed faith in them and a teacher who takes up teaching profession to earn money and without any love for teaching? In isolation there can be few teachers who love teaching. If such matters are fault of the system then measures need to be taken to rectify.

How about the students and their attitude? I feel the parents have to share the blame for attitude of their children. Parents of children of this era are from ‘Hum do hamare do’ philosophy. These children are brought up with over protectionism. Unfortunately these parents have shown intolerance to the disciplinary measures of the teachers. These children were spared from the reprimand for their mistakes and indiscipline. To add to this various so called crusaders in form of NGOs surfaced to encourage indiscipline in the name of right to liberty. Unfortunately none imagined the adverse impact of this pampering. Undue liberties were granted and the growing kids misused them. In the past it was a common site to see female students waiting outside the classroom till arrival of the teacher. Once these students see the teacher approaching, they will enter the class. Today it is common to see a boy and girl hugging each other and entering the class. I don’t want to debate on sexual liberties that one may demand or desire nor the gender inequalities,  but this is certainly a social degeneration. I have seen the era when students would rise when teachers enter the class. Today barring few, no respect is shown to the teachers when they enter the class. While the class is on, stretching legs and placing them on seat in front is common. Perhaps the habit students acquired in cinema hall is also practiced in the class. Many of the students find the AC classrooms a right place for the afternoon nap. Students come to class without notebooks and even a pen. In one of the reputed business school when I took surprise a test in the class at least 10% students had to borrow pen to write the answers. Even the management students are to be handled like immature middle school children. Sad realities.

Afternoon nap and high end mobile in the class

Technological advancement is yet another factor that makes these students think that they can do away with the teachers. Internet that provides huge learning opportunities is not a substitute for a Guru. Mobile phones are another distraction in the classrooms. Texting and social networking diverts the attention of the students. Cut, copy, paste in assignments gives superficial knowledge. This is really unfortunate. The legacy of not respecting teachers thus continues.

A teacher has to be a friend, guide and philosopher for the students and the students have to reciprocate by respecting the teachers. The cultural degeneration should come to an end. Respecting teachers is not a retrograde step but depicts an advanced culture of the society that values education and knowledge. It’s not late to take corrective measures on all fronts. Happy teacher’s day.

This article is not to hurt anyone's feelings or to degrade anyone. This is more for introspection to see what best can be done for the young students, who are the future of India.