“Chennai Class 12 student slaps teacher after reprimand” -- Deccan Chronicle. I was shocked to read two reports in the newspapers this week. 1. In Chennai, a class 12 Student slapped a teacher after reprimand. 2. In Nagercoil, students of 8th and 9th grades were caught by police while consuming liquor. This is a worrisome development and needs urgent attention by one and all. In India, especially in Tamil Nadu, teachers were held in high esteem. “மாதா, பிதா, குரு, தெய்வம்.” After mother and father, the teacher is given utmost respect. “எழுத்தறிவித்தவன் இறைவன் ஆவான்” A teacher is regarded as a demi-god. We are also familiar with the story of Ekalavya gifting his thumb to Dronacharya as gurudakshina (tuition fee). This reflects the values cherished by our ancestors and elders and their dedication to their teachers. Now, the situation is totally different and the younger generation is heading for a doom. We cannot totally blame the students for this. Then who is responsible for this mess? It is the government, the society, parents, and the teachers themselves. Today, the education sector is in a mess. Education has been commercialized. With some money and space, anybody can open an English medium school as well as an engineering college. With the commercialization of education, the values and character-building have been thrown to the winds. Most of the parents want to send their wards to popular private schools despite heavy tuition fees and other expenses. After sending their children to prestigious schools, most of the parents think that their duty is over. They do not see what their children are doing. These days, most of the schools focus on scoring pass percentages alone, not on character building. This is in contrast to the situation that existed about 3 to 4 decades ago. In those days, teachers had great dedication to their profession and they gave importance to character building despite their poor salary. We respected our teachers and followed their traits because they impressed us by their behavior and dedication. I hope my contemporaries of SLB High School and Scott Christian College, Nagercoil will concur with me. Today, most of the teachers have their own business activities (the so-called ‘side-businesses’) and don’t focus on teaching. They run private tuition classes, too. This has become a parallel unregistered industry. Students do not respect such teachers. How to correct the situation? First of all, the parents should have more involvement in the education of their children. Their responsibility does not end with meeting their educational expenses. They should meet the teachers periodically and find out how their wards are faring. They should spend more time with their children. The parents should also allow the children to select the subjects in which they are interested. They should not force them to become doctors or engineers just because their neighbors or rivals did so. When forced, even if the students get through their courses, they cannot excel in their profession. Secondly, the teachers should be dedicated to their profession and impress the students by their behavior. Only those who have interest in teaching should take up teaching profession. They should go to the class rooms with good preparation. Even today, students respect good and dedicated teachers. The teacher’s main responsibility is to motivate the students – to kindle their intellectual curiosity; once motivated, the students will learn by themselves. Moving away from their main subjects, the teachers should discuss moral values also with the students. Thirdly, the government should prepare the curriculum so as to suit the changing situation by appointing educationists in key positions. Politics apart, I believe that the education ministers – at the center and in the states – should be from the field of education. The curriculum should encompass moral education as well. Politics should be kept away from educational institutions. A law should be enacted to prevent the political parties from exploiting the students. The student wings of all political parties should be banned from the campus. A mechanism should be put in place to protect the teachers, if they are manhandled by rogue elements – by and large by the progeny of politicians and bigwigs. This will boost the morale of the teachers to work with more dedication. Education plays a paramount role in the progress of a nation. So, dear friends, take urgent steps to ensure a better future for our children. Please put your inputs in this thread in a constructive manner. “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” -- Solomon Ortiz facebook/jamaludheen.masthankhan
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 05:39:39 +0000
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