Why Teachers’ Dignity is at Stake?

A teacher is the main agent responsible for producing and bringing forth a generation on which the future of a nation depends. In other words, as it is more often said, teachers are the nation’s builders. Their experience and observations play a pivotal role in the personality development of individuals, the creation of a normative society, and the reformation and development of a progressive nation. They are highly respected and revered for their endeavours and efforts in building a progressive and evil-free nation. But unfortunately, over the last many decades, due to the downfall in moral and cultural values and the degradation in ethical standards of human societies, teachers have lost their respect and the honour they deserve from our society. As 5th October is being observed as International Teachers’ Day across the globe, on this special day, let’s try to find out the various reasons for the declining status of teachers in society. There are various reasons for this changing tendency of society towards teachers, but the basic impetus of this disrespectful and degraded status is that our teachers no longer possess the qualities of an ideal teacher. I believe that even today, if a teacher is able to develop in himself the characteristics that this noble profession demands, he will still be respected, revered, and honoured in society.

The declining status of teachers in society is due to their inferiority complex towards their profession. If not all, but most teachers, especially those working at primary level, have fallen into the trap of an inferiority complex, and they assume their profession is inferior to other professions. Most teachers in our schools are not teachers by choice but by chance; otherwise, a maximum of them aspire to be doctors, engineers or KAS officers. But when they fail to achieve their goals, they unwillingly choose to be teachers. Likewise, most teachers in our private schools take teaching as their secondary activity while their main focus remains on cracking some competitive examinations to brighten their career, as they don’t find their future secure at private schools where they are being paid below their expectations and are, rather, exploited there. Human resources should have three attributes to be propitious, beneficial, and efficacious for society. A teacher needs to develop all three characteristics/qualities to regain his dignity and to be beneficial to society. The first attribute is knowledge. Irrespective of the profession, a person needs to develop and explore vast knowledge of their field to acquire excellence in their profession. To gain mastery over his profession, a person should never stop learning and keep up to date with new arenas and latest trends in his field.Likewise, a teacher should never stop learning. In fact, his learning is directly beneficial for his pupils, and a knowledgeable teacher is always respected by his pupils. As the world is progressing swiftly and we are flooded with oceanic information, Acquiring maximum information from modern resources should be among the top priorities of a teacher. However, our practical experiences disappoint us when we look around for the greatest number of teachers who enjoy a comfortable, cosy lifestyle.Instead of exposing their students to new trends and information, most teachers stick to traditional teaching methods and simply provide bookish knowledge to their students.Teachers need to always update their knowledge and acquaint their students with current affairs and new information.

The second important factor is expertise, or training. A teacher might have enough knowledge of his subject, but he may not have the expertise or training to deliver it, but we can’t think of an ideal teacher without expertise in his field. A teacher plays an important role in the personality development of his students and social reformation. So he must be well aware of the students’ psychology, parents’ problems, changing educational trends, and variable social paradigms. A teacher must not adhere to the “chalk and talk” method so that he may come to the classroom, start writing answers on the board to make his pupils copy those answers, and finally assign his students daily homework to fulfil his duty. Rather, a teacher should have optimum expertise to transfer knowledge to his students, make his lectures interesting, and deliver new information to his students to make his teaching effective and useful. If one method is not working, he should shift to another one to make his lecture simple and easy. As Talcott Parsons, an American psychologist, has said, there are 52 ( which actually means a lot of ) ways to explain a problem. If you can’t convince your student with one, you should shift to another. A teacher should have the skills of harmony and compatibility. He should co-operate, collaborate, and harmonise with parents for the betterment of the students. Instead of making parents responsible for their wards’ weaknesses, a teacher should assist and work together with parents for the betterment and development of students. This is one of the best ways for a teacher to regain dignity and honour in society.

The third and most important attribute is the attitude of a teacher. If a teacher is sympathetic, generous, and benevolent towards students, parents, and society, he will undoubtedly be honoured and respected in society. It has been observed that some teachers’ behaviour towards their students is not satisfactory and acceptable. They insult and mock students for their little mistakes and discourage them with their fulsome, ugly, and inappropriate words, which ultimately incite hatred and disrespect for teachers in their hearts. Instead, a teacher should always use positive reinforcement to encourage his students.

Dr Zakir Hussain, a great educationist , former president of India and former VC of Jamia Milia Islamia, says that a teacher must possess three characteristics to achieve a good status in society. Firstly, his words should always be sweet and encouraging. He should always encourage his students with his words. Secondly, he should have an example character. His lifestyle should be humble, disciplined, polite, reasonable and civilised. As students usually follow the actions of their teachers, a teacher should be the best role model for their students. Lastly, a teacher has to be very careful in his attire. A person is always recognised by their attire, so a teacher should always follow a dress code which suits their personality. A teacher should always wear proper and formal dress. He should avoid wearing something that doesn’t suit his personality. A teacher can attain a respectable and honourable status in society by taking care of these three traits. The Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) has said that ‘ I have been sent as an instructor/teacher to teach you the ways of living. So a teacher’s profession is a prophetic profession. A teacher should honestly devote himself to his profession. He should always keep introspecting to keep his conscience awake and aware of his duties. A teacher will be respected and honoured in society as long as he performs his duties honestly and passionately and fulfils the sine qua nons that this noble profession requires.