TEACHERS' DAY THOUGHTS...

Words are poor, inadequate substitutes for the emotional flooding I experience while thinking of the challenges a teacher goes through in the modern day education system. It is difficult to believe there is anything that can alleviate the stress school teachers go through on a day today basis. I am leaving aside educators in the higher education sector and universities for the reason that they are allowed to work the way they want by society, whereas in schools you have people on all sides waiting to pounce on teachers for the slightest of mistakes they do. The plight of government school teachers is definitely better for many reasons: They are paid a decent salary though not what they deserve, they have job security, they are almost never abused, they are well respected in the society, they are eligible for pension and so on and so forth. But millions of private school teachers go through something that no words can explain. If you don’t believe me ask a private school teacher this question, “When was the last time you CRIED because of your work?” I bet most will recollect a day in the recent past.

My intention is not to plead for sympathy; if it seems so let it be. No private school teacher would want you to look at them and say, “Poor creature!”. I demand understanding. Yes, understand the value of what we do for the society; understand that private school teachers are no less teachers; understand that we work much more than what many think we do; understand that we teach (may not be all of us) because we love what we do.

I have no difficulty in accepting the commercial aspects of privatized educational system, my difficulty is in accepting victimization of one of the most crucial stakeholders of the system. Clinging on to the burden of the past saying it is just a service is good only for the politicians who prefer not to see the value of what we do. Teaching is a service of course it is, but it is also a means of living! Do you get it? There are many private school teachers who resort to tuitions and other minor works after school to help their family meet both the ends.

Some time back I got to speak with the ex-Principal of Daly college, Indore, Dr. Sumer Singh. I asked him what would be his one sentence message for all the teachers of this country, and this was his message which I believe should be the quintessence of this profession: “FEEL FOR YOUR STUDENTS”. Well this takes me back to me second sentence:  It is difficult to believe there is anything that can alleviate the stress school teachers go through on a day today basis. Here is the panacea that every teacher should keep carrying in their hearts: ‘FEEL FOR YOUR STUDENTS”. Most unfortunate experiences such as being insulted by parents, some school managements etc. will look small once we start feeling for our students as though they are our very own children.

Before I conclude let me assure my colleagues in the teaching profession that no other profession in the world can have as much impact on as many people as this one does. If we do it right it won’t be long before the nation, and world realise the value of the drops of blood we sweat for the sake of what matters most: our children.