Teachers of today have their task cut out…………

India is probably the only country in the world which dedicates an entire day of the calendar year to their teachers. Yesterday, the 05th of September, was that auspicious occasion. The day is meant to symbolize the respect and love that students are supposed to express to their teachers. However, today, the teacher-pupil relationship has been turned on its head. Teachers of today are exposed to a totally new gamut of challenges for these new times.

There used to be a time, even when we were in school 15 years back, when the teacher was a stentorian and beatific personality, imposing an empyrean presence on the class. He had only to enter the classroom for the hush to fall. He could ask tough questions in a gruff voice. It used to be enough for the mind to be set on the right track for the next 45 minutes. Not any longer though. Now, the teacher has to field a barrage of questions from his eloquent and articulate disciples who have access to all kinds of information on the internet. Hence the teachers have to remain updated themselves, and probably subscribe to several online forums. This was beyond thinking sometime back.

There are many teachers who are stressed out with the pressure that the profession brings along these days. They feel that they cannot take action against any children for misbehavior or against people who neglect their studies. At the same time, they are expected to take up innovative measures so that weak students can catch up with the bright ones. Disciplining students can get mighty tough for teachers if both parents and authorities want the students to be treated like pampered kids. This is like tying one’s hands and throwing them into the water. The corporatization of the education system has also rubbed salt into the wounds of the modern day teachers. As a result, the “hire and fire” policy that is displayed by the school authorities also does not chime well in the teaching fraternity.

The upside of all this is that the students today see their teachers as friends rather than as mentors. Teachers are no more feared or revered but seen as equals. Many teachers also send “friend requests” to the students on social networking sites. The thing to ponder over, however, is the “Guru-Shishya” relationship has changed forever.