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ShareThe fallacy doesn't lie in the attitude of students. It's our education system that has bolstered a tradition whereby teaching has become anything but a noble profession, let alone a mission to churn out well-rounded students capable of making a difference to the world. Tuitions, rather than quality classroom teaching has become the order of the day.
Students are taught to be docile or pay obeisance to the teachers without the latter actually being worthy of the same. Talent is overlooked; curiosity is looked upon with disdain. Tell me, how many students are encouraged to stand up and ask questions or clarify confusions? How many parents have the nerve to question a teacher's technique at the mandatory parent-teacher meetings?
The words of my Mathematics teacher still ring in my ears: "There is no question as a foolish question. However, there are some foolish people who never ask questions." These were the words with which he would barrage those who sat like dummies in classroom and showed a distinct lack of inquisitiveness.
Those were the days. Today, if you pose a question, you land up with the address of the teacher's private coaching class. Political parties may make tall claims about bettering the state of Indian education, but the fact remains that the sector is trapped in a vicious circle, a system that fosters 'percentage' over 'aptitude'.
In what is masqueraded as 'quality education', generations are coming out with degree certificates, but few trained to think innovatively. Get this straight -- the current generation is supremely talented. What it needs are rudders (read good teachers) to give them the right direction. It is not that all teachers are bad. But a sizable number of them particularly in the rural hinterland / government schools of the country are not serious about teaching.
The society is also responsible for this because it thinks that all those who couldn't find a
job have managed to become teachers. There is an urgent need to refashion the teaching profession. The government, society and educators have to pledge for a new beginning.
Don't use teachers for election duty and counting citizens in a census, make them teach, thus making them accountable. The answer to the muddle lies in introducing more accountability in the teaching profession. In the US and the UK, teachers are graded by students on the basis of their performance in the class.
Weekly or monthly appraisals are made, without fear or bias, to cleanse the system of lethargy or taken-for-granted attitude -- something so very palpable in our establishment. To top it all, educational planners are too antiquated to understand the needs of this generation.
At best they remind me of the tale of blind men who vainly try to describe an elephant. If we don't resuscitate the education system now, the temples of learning cannot create employable manpower, which is the need of the hour.
Let us augment payscales of teachers and treat them as professionals. The result of this will create a new responsible next generation with lot of knowledge and commitment.
