“Those who
can, do; those who can’t, teach.” One of Bernard Shaw’s characters said that with
the typical Shavian piquancy. I have been a teacher by profession all my life
and I am on the verge of retirement. When a fellow blogger suggests a topic
like ‘Can teachers today be
called “the untalented leftovers”?’ and it receives a record number
of votes from bloggers, I am more amused than chagrined.
Well, to start
with myself as an example, I think the blogger who suggested the topic has a
point because I was an “untalented leftover”. I was not particularly good at
anything. I failed to secure even a bank clerk’s job. A conspiracy of
chromosomes contrived to make me a priest and I failed absolutely by ending up
as an atheist.
The mother of
a student of mine met me the other day and complained that her daughter opted
for English literature at college because of me. I swelled with pride, only to
have that bubble of pride punctured by her next statement: “Why did she have to
struggle with all that math and science if she wanted to pursue literature of
all things?”
I smiled sadly
before saying that it was her destiny to be my student as much it was my
destiny to be her teacher.
“She wants to
be a teacher of all things,” the mother grieved. She was a teacher herself,
ironically. Being a teacher myself, I could understand her grief.
“She will love
the job,” I said. “University teachers are paid well too,” I added implying
that the girl needn’t necessarily become a CBSE school teacher like her mother
and me.
Why has
teaching become such a discredited profession? Obviously, there is no money in
it unless one is lucky enough to get into a university or something equivalent.
Money determines the worth of a profession today.
Whenever a
student of mine expresses a desire to pursue literature, I try my best to nip
that desire by telling them explicitly that it won’t do them much good as far
as career options are concerned. Yet a lot of my students shifted from science
to literature after school and I hope they are doing well. I know a few of them
at least who are doing wonderful jobs as journalists or media persons. A few
are teachers too. Are they happy? I don’t know. How do you assess people’s
happiness?
Are they “leftovers”?
I hope not.
I know quite a
lot of my students who became doctors and engineers. Many of them were very
mediocre people at school and secured admission to medical or engineering colleges
by paying enormous amounts under the table. Such people run the medical system
today, a system which sucks blood worse than vampires. Such people construct
flyovers which develop dangerous cracks within three years of construction. But
such people are never “leftovers” because they have money and they have
influence.
We are
governed today by politicians who have fake degrees. They shape our attitudes
and our future. I wish they had had good teachers.
Good teachers
touch hearts. Miracles take place in classrooms if the teacher is good.
Teaching is never a profession for the mediocre, let alone for the “leftovers”.
PS. Written for
Indispire Edition 280.
I definitely agree teachers are not left overs. What ever we are is because of them.
ReplyDeleteI am fortunate to have a lot of students who make me feel great 😊
DeleteI respect teachers a lot, buddy... but at the same time it is obvious that a large number in the teaching profession are there not because of choice. This lot is certainly untalented, not creative, not innovative at all, and absolutely disgruntled. This is a major problem with our education system besides issues of infrastructure, policy imbalance, and funding... these jokers who call themselves teachers are responsible for generations of low-grade professionals. These people have ensured that we stop thinking and analysing... and resort to the easiest alternative of rote learning. They are the destroyers of India.
ReplyDeleteTeaching profession is not a choice, I know, for monetary reasons mostly. So the solution is to ensure good salary so that great minds are drawn to the profession. Teachers can do wonders in the classroom, if only they are good teachers. I know a lot of good teachers who are far from being "untalented leftovers".
DeleteStandards have fallen in all professions not just among teachers Arvind Passey! Are all the people in other professions, there out of choice? Given the parental pressures and arm twisting, One wonders...
DeleteThe world is going through a crisis in this regard because of undue importance given to wealth in our life and lifestyle.
DeleteBeautifully penned. Am so happy to read something so worthwhile after eons!
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that.
Delete