Making a negligible excuse!

The recent outcry on Facebook about teachers leaving the profession didn’t come as a surprise but as a nuisance. I know there are hordes of teachers willing to join the cadre if one decides to come out of teaching. This happens every year and it didn’t make much hue and cry in the recent past. The question is why now.

Opinions can be viewed from all possible angles and directions. Most resign due to the system which only burdens the teachers besides one’s actual responsibility. To put into simple words, it’s just teachers being ‘overworked and underappreciated’. It is only obvious that wherever there are some civil services issues, teaching come to the limelight. And civil servants outside teaching say, “Gatey Jho ru, teachers ra imbay”, “Ya metubay, maa metubay” (Wherever you go, it’s always the teachers complaining of issues)

It’s not a worry for the government because 200 or so is a number very negligible compared to almost 9000 existing teachers.  Everyone is worried about the numbers, pay grade, perks associated and opportunities available. No one talks about how and what are some of the ways and means to retain teachers so that children become responsible, efficient and productive citizens in the near future. Everyone takes a back seat when mentioning of curriculum delivery. Smacking children and using punishment for learning like you and I underwent is a thing of the past now.

Let me make this very clear that year after year there are new things coming into teaching and it’s professionally demanding. Just because some lot of teachers make noise and voices out their inconveniences and grievances doesn’t mean the service workers outside teaching are doing their part. Get out of the comfort of your chairs and try and look into the life of a teacher. You will be horrified to become a teacher in the first place. If you are what you are now, remember there was someone behind you. If you perceive things that you find it right, it’s your personal view and your teacher didn’t teach you (I am sure) to look at things negatively.

‘Be a realist rather than trying to act perfect’ should be the outlook before making judgments of any sort, be it at a personal or governmental level. I am thinking of Ronald Reagan when he mentioned, “I ‘m from the government and I ‘m here to help.” After all who is the government, imagining a shadowy figure now, we are the government. Let us not criticize each other. And still, if you think this update too is also of a teacher, and if you think I am making a negligible excuse then think of the person teaching your kids at school. 

To those of you who still think this is a noise, to you I say...We are not just teachers, we are the managers of the world's greatest resource: Children. -Robert J. Meehan