A teacher is someone who is able to light up the lives of others, the one who enlightens minds and sparks innovation in souls. Throughout history, teachers have been valued and respected for what they do. It was considered one of the noblest professions. But today, this noble profession has started losing its value. Well, today we give major emphasis on child-centered learning, wherein the old teacher-based learning doesn’t take place. Teachers are often forced to mimic a set of guidelines that they are obliged to follow upon employment.
Speaking of employment, today we face a major decline in the number of people who come forward and choose teaching as a profession. The simple reason being less pay, and of course societal degradation. Let’s face it; there are very few parents who encourage their children to grow up to be teachers, rather than doctors or engineers. Why is it so? However, all parents seek the best of educational facilities for their children. When you aren’t ready to make your child a good teacher, how can you expect one for your child?
Figures from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) show that nearly 69 million new teachers must be recruited and trained in order to achieve global universal primary and secondary education, with sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia most affected by the worldwide shortage. Globally, we need to recruit 24.4 million primary school teachers, and 44.4 million secondary school teachers.
I have also noticed that, the distance that was once maintained between teachers and students has narrowed to such an extent that teachers have become more like friends than people who are respected. Students don’t lose any opportunity to have light hearted conversations with their teachers. I think it is high time for a change. The humble profession of teaching must be brought back up into the mainstream once again. If not now, then when can we expect to see the sun rise on the noble profession again?
- The reader is a student based in Chandigarh, India
