Teacher’s Day: A day of introspection for teachers also!

Generally, on teacher’s day, the sea of emotions with surfs of reverence ripple in hearts of students and they write eulogies and sing hosanna to show their gratitude towards the human mortal who is raised to the status of GOD . And this gratitude showing sometimes falls to a level where it seems diametrical boot licking.

The concept of GURU in India is so sacrosanct that speaking about any shortcoming of the GURUS might be as tantamount to blasphemy. But this doesn’t mean that teachers are sans flaws.

The favoritism on the part of teachers start at the very nascent stages, say from standard I or Standard II. Only one or two students are the apple of eyes of the class teacher, rest of the class is left on its own ability and destiny to learn the ropes of the behemoth burden that education system of India imparts to them. 

And by god’s limitless grace, if you fall under the tag of slow learner, the partisan teacher will leave no stone unturned to make you feel trivial before the student who is a number-cruncher or who is a gifted orator. It is not that you have any allergy to hard work, but it is such in life that hard work is one thing and your mind grasping educative errands is the other. And that is why you remain aloof from the praising periphery of the teacher’s wisdom. And since you are branded slow learner, the teacher couldn’t care less about your progress in the class. 

Gradually, time passes and you manage to survive with the serpentine labyrinth of the Indian education system. But whereas you only managed to survive, the apple eyed guys secured their places in medical or engineering institutes. So, your meek survival is again outshined by their blinding achievements and again they get all the praise from their teachers. Such teachers’ chest gets swelled with pride having bright and successful students. And you remain slithering on the ground of the education system to make sense of it and make sense of your life. 

By mistake or by God’s grace (for your hard work, and grey matter, matter zilch!), if you also manage to secure a place in a technical education school, the partisan species of teacher will hound you there also. Around the end of the academic year, the most sophisticated teacher will ask the class to raise hands in order to know who has got placement and who has not. And again, under the light of partisan thunderbolt your unplaced gloomy face withers. But the teacher is happy to know the 90% placement data of the class. What about remaining ten percent? Does it count! 

I agree that not all teachers are the same. Some do care about the last- benchers or the eternal flunk artists. But the teaching arena has majority of teachers who are parochial in their approach about their concept of teaching.

On this teacher’s day, I hope that such teachers will find time out from the razzmatazz of celebrations and introspect about how they have impacted lives in their active years as a teacher.

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