Shahid Majeed Mir Student
Education is cornerstone of society. Human beings are cognitive creature having ability to think, analyse and conclude. Societal status depends on certain well defined attributes and Education stands at the top of all. Education is the process, the way that develops the complete personality of a person. It accomplishes in us the ways of living, behaving and gives finishing touch to our lives.
It is the process of opening doors of learning or the procurement of knowledge, Skills, values, beliefs and habits in humans. But these processes are never natural and are always facilitated by good teachers. A powerful driver of development and one of the strong instrument of reducing poverty and improving health, gender equality, peace and stability is good and proper education of society.
And the sole significant factor behind all this is reasonable and pleasant teacher. And all these improvements of community or a nation are always worthwhile for respected and good teachers. But when the society faces moral crisis on part of teachers, the situation leads to dystopian theme. The teachers are responsible for inculcation of good habits with living experience to prepare the base for situation. However the contemporary teachers are failing miserably in their performance of duties rather they divert attention to other irrelevant activities thus threatening students from physical to mental orientation. The severe injury of 12th standard boy after beaten by teacher in BHSS school Sogam, Lolab in Kupwara district is live example .He was writing a form placed on a car of teacher because of this he had to bear the brunt of teacher who injured him severely . He is in very critical situation now and battling for life. What else! Is there erosion of responsibility or responsiveness?
The student teacher relation is to be viewed through prism of education which teaches discipline and morality. The relationship stands on the sentinel of respected principles. The teacher is well honoured personality known by Guru, ustad, teacher, etc in different languages. The essence of this relationship is stood at the mattress of Father Son duo. Infact the intellectuals went to the extent of saying that “Teacher is the spiritual father of student”. Others express their emotions in different manner just to pay tribute to this recognized position. They held the teacher at high esteem. In western countries it is customary to pay much respect to teachers than civil service officers. At times the separate colony establishment for teachers came in limelight from western countries. They have aptly analysed meaning of Spiritual father message. On the other hand our society lacks in bras tack of teacher Student relationship. We analyse everything from business perspective. But the question is what leads to such an extreme friction in this avid relationship. It’s of all there commercialization of education which brought mine and thine in the realm of overall educational sphere. The rising trend of private institutions with complex modules made the education cumbersome for early childhood. The initiation of English education without moral education leads to its crisis in education. This orientation is visible in degradation of students respect towards teachers. It at the same time engaged teachers in teaching of ABC without essence of life and its attributes. It’s amazing to know that even most liberalised countries polish the early childhood and prepares his mind for education through culture bound learning.
On the 2nd orientation the complex growth of tuition style lead to erosion of intricate relationship. It held the outcome as its last theme of ongoing process of education. The only outcome is grade. Herein teachers take-up it merely as a means of livelihood without caring much for right and wrong. They are following the norm of true or false. This orientation of reasoning called Instrumental way lead to downgraded teachers morals. Herein lays the space for harsh action on part of teachers.
They defend the tragic events on behalf of students mishandling of situations. This approach is based on commercial aspect of education as means of livelihood where there’s no place for responsive attitude of teachers towards their children who are kept under their custody due to their trustworthiness.
Either we witness the student being beaten on mistake of homework which is of miniscule importance in daily routine or the outside misconception dealt in brutal manner. At times the teachers are heard threatening the student about under limit score in practical or others such papers examined by them for any misconception.
In its extreme form the teachers are seen blackmailing the daughters of society for favour to sexual orientation. These failures need a quick fixation or the time for closure of educational institutions on unheard pretext is arriving close to us. Our society couldn’t bear the situation when parents shiver to send their wards for education in institutions supervised by human beings with beastly qualities. Educational approach is in need of overhaul in administrative as well as social perspective to prepare our future generation in unhindered manner. Else the future is endangered.
Teachers are nation builders is an oft repeated sobriquet. The institutions held by such personalities need reshaping because rather than preparing future the teachers are busy in physical and mental torches not to talk of moral crisis. The solution lies in early start of moral education based on essence of religious duty to “Respect elders (teachers ) for students while as Compassion for youngsters (students) to elders”. Both of them should learn to know this intricate relationship and pay due regards to it.
The administrative mechanism of including more women teachers who know the motherhood approach very well in field must be encouraged. On different orientation all women schools, colleges and universities be operationalized in future. To a short term strategy strict penalty shall be the result of such brutality which leads to severe injury or death in certain cases. And the teacher should be suspended immediately for his grave act.
A proper redressal cell under chair of principle need to be established at both private as well as public institutions. The cross examination of schools should be worked out at evaluation stage for those papers internally held by educational institutions to curb the Mental depression of any friction related incident of student with teacher. Lastly the strict code for students is strictly implemented as both of them lead to crisis in this field.
Until and unless teachers learn to know their responsibility the mere identity card doesn’t bestows them sobriquet of Spiritual Father. They have to prove it through deeds.
Writer Shahid Majeed Mir hails from Misribehak Machil Kupwara and can be reached at [email protected]*
This was earlier published in print edition of ‘The Legitimate’
