Rakesh Kumar Pandit
In the Vedic Period, the Gurukul system of learning was prevalent in which disciple stayed with his guru (teacher was then called) from a very tender age to adulthood to acquire education. In those days men with wisdom and unlimited knowledge were used to be teachers. In the Gurukul, the guru was entrusted by parents and society with the complete education of his disciples, covering almost every discipline like Medicine, Philosophy, Polity, Warfare, Astrology, History and everything that is related to human development. Such was the stature and role of a guru or teacher in shaping and moulding of a child. Also such was the trust of the parents and society in the gurus or teachers that guru used to be a father figure, mother and friend of the disciples in the Gurukul. The teachers were used to enjoy utmost respect and honour from society and students, not less than the king of the land. With the passage of the time, the role and work of the teachers has evolved into new dimensions, but the credibility and authority of the teachers has hit a new low. The crisis the teaching fraternity is facing today is that they have lost prestige and honour and it is teachers themselves who have brought disrepute to themselves and to this noble profession of teaching. After serving now, more than six years in different far-flung areas of Jammu division and observing the things myself, and also newspaper reports arising almost every other day now, regarding dereliction of duty by teachers compelled me to write something about teachers and teaching ethics without intending to hurt anyone. But I want to highlight some of the inconvenient facts. My focus will be on teachers who are teaching at elementary level, because it is such a crucial stage in the life of a child that any mistake on part of teachers will make him/her suffer for whole of his/her life. The role of a teacher at primary level is most important. If role of a teacher at higher level is something to do with the career of a student and in turn nation’s development, the role of a teacher at elementary level is life making in its true sense because “It is better to be a man of value than the man of success”, said Albert Einstein.
If newspaper reports are to be believed the habitual absenteeism is now a common practice among the teachers in very far-flung areas. The large numbers of teachers are getting suspended every other day on account of dereliction of their duties. Worst is the condition in primary and middle schools in rural areas. During inspections, finding schools completely locked during working hours is a routine affair now. It is said that, nation’s future is shaped in classrooms, but what will happen if the classrooms are found closed in broad daylight? The teachers who are responsible for this must kept in mind that government is paying them regularly and handsomely for teaching economically poor and down-trodden children in these far-flung areas. The teachers besides routine teaching are expected to teach moral lessons to the children, but who will teach such morally bankrupt teachers. There is a section of teachers who in spite of attending the schools do not care to teach and children suffer due to this casual attitude. There is another section of teachers in very far-flung areas who sublet their duties to some very less qualified and untrained persons by paying meager amount to them. Another section of teachers considers teaching at elementary level as if nothing and promotes the children without proper teaching and evaluation, which gives birth to blame game from secondary to middle and from middle to primary level; and, sometimes children are being abused on account of not knowing the basics, with no fault of theirs.
This callous attitude of teachers towards the small children must be treated as criminal negligence on part of such teachers and must be punished accordingly. One wonders what genes such teachers are made off, who can think of such a treatment to these very needful children, even knowing that these children have no source of learning other than these shabbily managed government schools. Can such teachers afford this treatment to be meted to their own children? In fact government teachers seldom admit their wards in government schools. This practice from such teachers is the worst form of corruption. The government has opened schools in every nook and corner of the state and is appointing RET’s and large number of regular teachers almost every year now to fill the shortage of staff in these schools, but is teaching profession mere a source of employment without ethics or there is some mission and spirit in this teaching profession? Further, it is not always possible for the administration to monitor the functioning of all the schools in very far-flung areas and moreover the nature of the teaching job is such that none can force a teacher to teach. It is only the self motivation and sense of duty that can make a teacher to work. Moreover the teachers are being provided orientation and refresher courses by the education department to update their knowledge and meet the new challenges and needs of the school education on regular basis.
The responsibility of a teacher at the elementary level is manifold because he/she is dealing with a virgin and an inquisitive mind. At this stage a teacher must have faith in the inherent potentialities of each and every child. He/She must be able to recognize the differences in the capacities of the children owing to their diverse background. A teacher must have capacity to communicate to the little children. His behaviour should be such that the little children will treat him as a father figure. A teacher should consider himself as a parent to his students and every student is to be looked with affection. The best teachers are those who not only teach but also make their pupils worthy citizens possessing noble virtues and this must start at the elementary level. “Teachers should be the best minds in the country”, said the Sarvepali Radhakrishanan. The teachers need a missionary zeal and selfless attitude to regain the past glory and prestige, and in the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Put yourself to work. Even the least work done for others awakens the power within; even thinking the least good of others gradually instills into the heart the strength of a lion.”
(The Author is Assistant Professor of Physics at GDC-Bhaderwah)
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