Albert Thyrniang
A friend shared with me that whenever he makes his annual home visit to Kerala he makes it a point to visit two of his primary school teachers. Regretting that today teachers are not respected like the ones of yore he did specify the reasons for the lack of respect for teachers in the present age. I share his sentiments. My friend has the highest regards for the primary teachers in his village and has vivid memories of them. If the prestige of the teaching profession has taken a beating the views below might help explain the reasons.
In the good old days there were fewer teachers. Today teachers are aplenty. When this writer was a primary school kid there were just three teachers in the village. They were adored not just by the students but by the whole village community. They were also the leaders in the village. Naturally they were accorded the highest esteem. A head count of teachers today in the same village might take the number close to 50 (excluding those who have relocated outside the village). So obviously, these teachers can’t command the same veneration as those three teachers in the late 1970s.
The small number of teachers of yesteryears did not detract from their commitment and dedication. In 1986, Class VI students had to write public examinations. It was considered a prestigious examination. I vividly remember the teachers who coached and trained me and my classmates through remedial classes in Maths, English and other subjects in the morning and evening, before and after school for more than three months. This was totally free. We were also told every day by every teacher, “If you need you can come to my house any time.” Students would do so without any hesitation. No wonder the batch did exceedingly well. This might sound like bragging but I scored 80% plus. My companions did even better. Unfortunately not long after that the Class VI public examination was abolished.
Today do we have such teachers? Are teachers willing to take remedial classes for free? The answer is a resounding ‘No’! My limited experience in schools tells me that remedial classes are an unwelcome suggestion. Sadly, most teachers always link additional classes to additional remuneration. If extra bucks are unavailable the proposal would be rejected, including by those in the Government’s pay roll. Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma has also proposed remedial classes in schools that need them so as to improve the SSLC results. The proposal could be implemented in the form of a government scheme. On their own it is highly doubtful that these schools would volunteer to conduct free remedial classes for their own students. In such a scenario certainly the admiration for teachers is bound to decline. Self-sacrificing and selfless teachers are probably a rare breed today. The sheer multiplication of teachers in the present age does not mean we retain those much appreciated values.
This takes us to the menace of tuition. Today even students of nursery class go for tuition. It was almost non-existent in our time. Tuition was meant for the weaker students. It was quite rare to have a tutor. Today it has become a fashion and a necessity. Tutors, particularly in Mathematics and Science, make good money. They earn multiple times more than their salaries. Teachers doing full time tuition find it lucrative. One of the reasons for securing ranks is because of tuition. In cities students who excel in public examinations have their photographs with percentages displayed on billboards and hoardings across the town and at entrances of tuition centres. So who should the credit go to? The classroom teachers or the tuition centre teachers? If teachers are losing respect, they should blame it on themselves or on the commercialisation of education, if we want to find an excuse route.
In an orientation session a resource person asked these questions: (i) Who is the current Miss Universe? (ii) Which country won the last FIFA World Cup? (iii) Name one ancient civilization (iv) Which planet is no more a planet? (v) Where is the statue of Liberty located? None of the attending teachers got all the answers right. The conclusion is clear. A teacher can be a mere ‘textbook’ teacher. Everyone is not expected to be a wizard but in this information age, a ‘textbook teacher –will find it hard to make his/her class creative and interesting.
Creativity is perhaps not a strong point in teachers. This is because our education system does not encourage originality. There is little room for innovation, novelty, and imagination. Our examination system is basically memory testing. Notes are given in class. Answers are identical. One is surprised that notes are given even at the B. Ed level. Trainees are busy making photo copies instead and spending time to create ‘unique’ notes through consultation in the library. Future teachers are expected to mug up these ‘repeatedly’ circulated notes and reproduce them in the examinations. So how do you expect them to be creative when they join a school? Dr. APJ Kalam, our late President is supposed to have said, “Creativity is the key to success in the future and primary education is where teachers can bring creativity in children at that level.”
Meghalaya is believed to have a high percentage of teacher absenteeism. In the website of the Education Department, Government of Meghalaya there is a report of a study by DERT on Teachers’ absenteeism but there is no data on the malpractice. However, the dereliction of duties is widespread and it shows up in the end product in the form of abysmal SSLC results. This misconduct of teachers means SSLC candidates have acquired insufficient language and arithmetic skills – so inadequate that a minimum of 30 out of 100 marks in 5 out of 6 subjects is elusive. If a teacher neglects this very basic duty how does he or she earn respect from pupils and the general public?
Absenteeism is a national problem. A Google search shows that many states have taken steps to eradicate the menace. Telengana, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttarakhand and our neighbouring states, Tripura and Assam have introduced biometric attendance. Why has Meghalaya not done the same to address this problem? The answer could be readymade – the issue of internet connection in rural areas. States like Uttarakhand gave the same excuse until in 2018 when a Public Interest Litigation in the high court forced the government to introduce biometric attendance system in all government educational institutions within 24 months. Something similar should happen here in our state.
Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the academician, philosopher-author and India’s second president who ‘instituted’ September 5 as Teachers’ Day and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the People’ president and a teacher till the very end can be an inspiration to regain our lost ground. Both happened to be from the South; both came from humble beginnings. Both were awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in the country and both became the second and the eleventh President of India. Born in a poor Brahmin family in Madras Dr. Radhakrishnanis considered one of India’s best and most influential scholars in comparative religion and philosophy and climbed to the rank of a Vice-Chancellor of universities. Dr Kalam’s early life is even more inspirational. Son of a boat owner, an average student in school, a newspaper distributor he obtained multiple doctorates and became ‘India’s missile man. For both great men, hard work was their trait.
Both led a simple life and remained humble throughout life. Dr. Radhakrishnan accepted only Rs. 2500 out of his Rs. 10,000 salary donating the rest to the PM’s Relief Fund every month. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam stayed in a single-room for 20 years while serving in the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram. Even as President he led a frugal life.
Both teachers were much loved. An acclaimed teacher of Philosophy in higher institutions like the Madras Presidency College, the Maharaja’s College, Mysore, the University of Calcutta, the University of Oxford and later distinguished himself as the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University, President Radhakrishnan declined a formal observance of his birthday in 1962 and instead proposed celebration of teachers’ day.
Dr. Kalam was not a professional teacher but he was a treasured guest lecturer in various institutes. He passed away on July 27, 2015 while delivering a lecture on “Creating a Liveable Planet Earth” at the Indian Institute of Management, Shillong and will always be remembered as a teacher. During his presidency he often visited schools and colleges. The images of him informally interacting with adoring students and children are vivid in many minds.
