To all of you who teach, hats off
By the time this column appears, the dust would have settled on an action packed Teachers' Day which found itself in the eye of a storm taking centre stage on all the news channels. I wondered what Dr Radhkrishnan would have thought as circulars flew about from various departments detailing the "arrangements" that needed to be made for the live telecast of the prime minister's speech and interaction with students.
School administrations went into overdrive, shelving past traditions of Teachers' Day, wondering what, if any, would be the retribution for what could be considered as non-compliance! And all the while, the ticker tape on news channels repeated that the ministry of HRD did not make it mandatory for these arrangements to be made. Consultations raged across the NCR and I wondered, as this drama unfolded, why there was such a sense of underlying fear. Fear is a nasty little four letter word that paralyses us, that causes us to lose sight of the true expression of Teachers' Day.
Thankfully, as I watched young children rush to hug their teachers, smile, laugh and hand them cards they had made, the feeling of love that enveloped us validated why we taught - it was for this, for the love and warmth and connect with young minds that we chose to be teachers. It is the toughest job in the world in my opinion and perhaps the most thankless in this day and age when it has been denuded in a society of our own creation, when we value what a person earns rather than what she does.
I was struck by the story the PM recounted to children of an individual who wanted a job, he felt his MA was sufficient qualification and unable to see that other than his MA there was nothing really, that he could do - he had no skills whatsoever. We have lost sight of the fact that our children get their samskara from both parents and their teachers. Yet the conditions in which teachers have to work make it impossible for them to truly inspire, share values, guide, nurture and walk hand-in-hand with their students.
For the earlier vision of teachers to be the transmitters of values, knowledge and the light of reason and compassion to be restored - educators and educational institutions need the clear light of freedom and autonomy within which to work and forge their practice in the best interests of their children. It is a sad indictment that as the PM noted our best and brightest steer clear of teaching as a profession.
In all my years as an educator in spite of my exhorting my students I have been disappointed when their first choice has been to opt for careers in finance, marketing, indeed in sectors that promised quick returns in terms of wealth creation. We continue to speak of the need for more of our young to join this profession, but it cannot simply be a calling or vocation, we have to create the environment which allows individuals to gain the satisfaction of monetary benefits with the invaluable satisfaction of being with creative, energetic and aspirational young minds!
Easier said than done, I hear you say. True. But can it be done? My firm belief is YES and it needs the political and social will on a scale that requires it to be a national mission. Am I a dreamer? Perhaps. But then I am a teacher, I am allowed to dream.
"Fueled by hope, this special corps of men and women shape minds, stretch imaginations, challenge thinking and model consistency. They have one major enemy they fight with tireless energy: ignorance!"
"So to all of you who teach, hats off. You are invaluable. Don't quit. If ever we needed you, we need you today." Charles Swindoll