Agony Of An Indian School Teacher !
February 26, 2008 – 3:03 pmContributed by: Ashok K Jha
Mrs.Sharma does not know how to handle her class now.She will retire in two years,so she does not want to create any situation that would be embarrassing for her and her school where she has spent the major part of her life teaching.Known as a very strict disciplinarian,her sudden mellowed demeanour bemused her students initially.After some days some anxious students visited her residence and asked the reason for her detachment.Smiling wryly she replied politely that the field of education has undergone drastic changes with so many restrictions being imposed on it and even a casual remark could land her in trouble, so she was just being extra cautious.
As per a recent court ruling,a teacher can not call any student “stupid”.Corporal punishment and other measures of punishments are already prohibited.Teachers who are deeply involved with their students find it very strange.They know the consequences of abandoning the dictum- spare the rod and spoil the child. They are unable to fathom why the age-old tradition is being questioned while westernisation is being followed blindly and imposed on others like her. Everybody knows how difficult it is for teachers in England ,America and other Western countries to manage their students’ unruly behaviour.Their school atmosphere is so different from ours that teachers from the Indian subcontinent find it very difficult to adjust and assimilate with them.Many who have gone to teach there just abhor that experience.
The Indian culture and tradition puts the teacher on the highest pedestal,next only to God.There is no parallel elsewhere in the world where teachers are held in such high esteem.Any action and punishment by the teacher has been unquestionable for ages. It’s unthinkable that a teacher would say or do anything that would harm any student. Mrs. Sharma’s students,understanding her concern, collectively handed her a petition signed by the whole class which read that none of her classes would ever protest against her chiding and punishment.Almost all the parents of her class too came in support of their children and met the school Chairman,the Principal and Mrs.Sharma herself.
As the news spread,school alumni from world over showed their deep concern.Many of her students settled abroad,occupying high positions in various fields wrote saying how they still cherished the punishment given by her and subconsciously they too were trying her methods on their kids.
This situation has come this far because teaching has merely become a profession and most teachers are more interested in taking tuitions and coaching classes than the character building and education of their children.These greedy teachers have caused such damage to our tradition, that perhaps the ancient practices can never be recreated by any means.
Mrs. Sharma teaches senior classes in a reputed public school and agrees that this situation has come to this pass because of the crass commercialisation of education.School managements pressurise the teachers to deliver hundred percent result, that too with distinction.Parents too ,who pay hefty fees and donations for admission expect nothing less.Students who get admitted in this manner know well that it enhances the social standing of their parents. Thus they are just not interested in education. As a result the concerned and exasperated teacher punishes the child.Here again her motive,in most instances, is to mend the behaviour of the child. But,this category of students expect their teachers to bear their tantrums like the receptionist or other person they encounter in their high lives.They make hue and cry when hauled up for repeatedly for not paying due attention and as a consequence,performing very poorly.Parents of these children,who can go to any extent to support their children don’t heed to lowly paid teachers.Their high headed attitude has thus led to the subversion of the whole system itself.
Media too is playing to the gallery and reports any minor or trivial incident in such a manner that it looks like a national crisis.This phenomena has developed after the plethora of channels began recruiting journalists, just out of their teens,with no idea whatsoever about the Guru-Shishya parampara.They are such secular-liberal-minded that anything Indian looks derogatory to them.This is perhaps due to the flawed impression they have about their own culture.
Nasruddin Shah,one of the finest actors confessed recently that he would always look upto Shakespeare,Chekhov and other immortal personalities for inspiration.But once he started reading Indian classics of Kalidas and others,he was stunned.How far ahead we were many centuries ago!Now Mr. Shah knows where to look for inspiration.
Once an editor asked Lalu Prasad Yadav,why did he always joke around in front of the media contingent.Lalu replied :that’s why they are always hounding me ;and I know they think me a rustic and not- urbane.”He also confessed,however,”Even I don’t feel like talking about anything serious to them as they seem to be too young and snobbish to understand the nuances of politics.I know they are tutored everyday for specific tasks but it fails to convince me”.
So,clearly there is a disconnect between all levels.Similarly, in the zeal to become more westernised than the west itself,everything is being so twisted that in the long run it will result in bizarre consequences.We must imbibe good practices wherever they come from, but we must not destroy our traditional practices merely to be labelled as ‘modern’ .
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