Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwara
Guru Sakshat Param Brahma, Tasmaye Shree Guruve Namah
This Sanskrit shloka refers to the teacher being the trinity of gods and one to be revered and saluted. Our ancient scriptures have placed teachers on a pedestal. Children grow up to celebrated stories of Lord Krishna as ‘Jagat Guru’ or Guru Dhronacharya, the illustrious teacher of Ekalavya.

Living up to such lofty expectations in today’s age and times is simply not easy. Today, the teacher is neither considered godly nor a spiritual guide. Teaching is a quite really an odd profession; while it is acclaimed as an honourable profession, it is sometimes disrespected. As Aristotle said, “Those who can do, do. Those who can’t do, teach.”

Teachers have been discredited as being commercial-minded sometimes due to the tuition culture and at other times when parents look at them as mere service providers of education.

In today’s fast pace and dynamic world, the role of the professional teacher has undergone a sea change. Traditionally, it is the chosen profession for women, because of its comfortable timings, easy pace and numerous vacations.

Of the 365 days in a year, working days amount to hardly 210. Little wonder then that 99 per cent of teachers are women. However, women who joined the profession as a hobby are finding it extremely difficult to cope since there are a lot of professional commitments required in today’s times.

A modern teacher wears many hats. They act as educators, coaches, counsellors, nurses, career advisors, parents, friends, guides and innovators. There is also the constant pressure of new methodologies and pedagogies of teaching. In order to keep up to the global standards of education, the teacher has to constantly revamp and reinvent teaching - learning methods to keep abreast of the changing times.

Though an important profession, teaching is rarely a top chosen career for modern-day students. The anomaly in the job compensation practice, which exists currently in society, may be the reason for this. The core segments of society such as doctors and teachers who are largely responsible for a healthy and educated population seem to be relatively low-paid. Both education and health are cornerstones of the development of any individual and collectively that of society. Both these professions are perceived to be socialistic in nature, where a teacher or doctor must provide service to society at average pay packages.

Film stars and cricketers rake in millions while  teachers who are responsible for the creation of every profession like engineering, medicine, IT, business and even politics, sometimes struggle to make a middle-class living. Icons such as Sachin Tendulkar and Shah Rukh Khan make crores of rupees from a few endorsements, while the principal of a school cannot dream of making such amounts in a lifetime.

 Such anomalies and faulting standards need to be corrected before students can start choosing teaching as a prime career.

The advancement of any society depends upon teachers; they form an integral and important part of any nation and deserve to be recognised as the key players in the development of society. They are the positive force for change. The wisdom and culture of any community come from its teachers.

All countries that have recognised the importance of education and have given teachers their due place have flourished. Nations have fallen and risen according to the emphasis given to their educational systems. Teachers are probably the most important assets in the achievement of the future vision of any country. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that teachers are the last revolutionaries; no one can make a difference to the world as teachers can do.