It has become a constant fear among teachers that they will be blamed for ‘every little thing’ that happens to a child.
New Delhi: After he became the President of India in 1962, students of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a beloved university professor, wanted to mark his birthday, 5 September, as ‘Radhakrishnan Day’.
But Radhakrishnan had something else in mind: He suggested that his birthday instead be dedicated to teachers as a mark of respect for the community.
Teaching was a cause dear to the former President, who outlined a three-pronged vision for India’s teachers — that the best minds should become teachers, that teachers must be accorded the highest respect in society; and that they should engage in research and innovation.
Fifty-six years have passed since that first Teachers’ Day. However, despite the tributes from students that mark the occasion every year, some teachers say they feel “under pressure” in the current times, finding themselves courting blame for situations where they were helpless or simply not responsible.
Also read: Five reasons why Teachers’ Day should be abolished
“If you see, what is happening in this country is that teaching as a profession is not a celebrated profession,” said Ashok Pandey, the principal of Ahlcon International School in Delhi and a veteran teacher himself.
“I am saying this because not a lot of young people are choosing this as their first choice,” he added.
“Whatever people are coming in are not coming with great motivation, they are coming reluctantly. If this is the background, what should society do?” The teachers… they must be encouraged in whatever scenario they join, so that they start loving the profession,” he said.
“If this is done, they will prove to be the best teachers,” said Pandey, “On the contrary, what is happening now is that teachers are being put under scrutiny for everything. This will certainly hamper their motivation.”
“This country taught the whole world what teaching is all about. Therefore, it is logical that teachers of this country must be respected the most. This is not happening,” he added.
‘Hands tied behind our backs’
Talking about the importance of teaching as a profession, principal Ameeta Mulla Wattal of Springdales School, Delhi, said, “Over the years, the entire profession of teaching has taken a hit.”
“It has been undermined a lot because people say if you don’t have anything (a job), just teach. Teachers are also exploited monetarily,” she added.
“Society itself has become materialistic. Professions that do not give you money have become unimportant,” she said, “In such a scenario, the kind of respect that teachers or the teaching profession should be accorded has gone away.”
Also read: Teachers’ Day: Professors who teach to question are the first ones to go
She echoed Pandey in emphasising the impact of teachers being blamed for everything that happens to a student, saying this had also cost the profession the respect it once had.
“Because of the aggression in society, everything that happens is pinned on teachers, even the slightest of things, like if the child slips, parents will ask why the water was there; if they are hurt by a ball, they will ask why a net wasn’t there and things like these,” she said. “For everything, the teacher is responsible. Teachers are supposed to do everything with their hands tied at the back.”
“All the ills of the society cannot be put on our shoulder,” she added.