How many students remember their teachers? Do they want to thank them for the knowledge they have imparted?
The teachers’ day is observed annually on the 5th of October around the globe to raise awarness about the crucial roles the teachers play to bring up literate and a prosperious society on the whole.
Indeed,a teacher’s unyielding support and contributions to the welfare of the society can never be ignored and turned a blind eye to since their contribution is unmeasureable and endless.
The day was of 2000 when my parents relocated from our native village and moved to the city.I didn’t know what education was and eventually, I came across a teacher named Qamber Mumtaz who emerged to be a role model for me and changed my life.Since then,I deeply understand what a teacher is.
“I am not afriad of an army of lions led by a sheep.I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.” A teacher, undoubtedly is the guider and the leader of a nation since without teachers, a nation can’t produce responsible children and professionally skilled adults and nations too can’t prosper without it.
Besides, researches show that quality teachers make the difference not only in students’ academic performance but also in their lifetime success.
Recently, one of my teachers narrates,” once a man named Ashfaq Ahmad, broke the traffic signals and he was caught by a traffic warden in a foreign country .Consequently, his case was taken to the court of law where the judge asked the compulsion .He replied that he was a teacher and he was late for the school.The judge stood up and told all the people to stand up too for the honour of the teacher and begged sorry to Ashfaq Ahmad for, they all had reached great heights because of the teachers.”
However, our country beside confronting a plethora of dilemmas also goes through a variety of problems in the education sector where a great number of teachers are found ghost.
This doesn’t show an affirmative picture.The ghost teachers must keep in mind that their wrongdoings will not have adverse impacts on the country’s economy but this indirectly effects their own life and nation.
The importance of a teacher as an architect of our future generations demands that only the best and the most and competent members of our intelligentsia be allowed to qualify for this noble profession. It is unfortunate to find that generally the worst and the most incapable people of the society find their way into this profession. Anyone who fails to find an opening in any other walk of life, gets into this profession and recklessly plays with the destiny of the nation.
Moreover, during the early education, the students tend to determine their aims in life and their future plans, in consultation with their teachers. Therefore, a good and visionary teacher can play a prominent role in making the future of his students while as a corrupt teacher can only harm his students much more seriously than a class of corrupt and perverted judiciary, army, police, bureaucracy,politicians or technocrats. A corrupt and incompetent teacher is not only a bad individual, but also an embodiment of a corrupt and incompetent generation.Thus, a nation with corrupt teachers is a nation at risk.
But notwithstanding this,an important reason for this is understood to be the poor salaries of our primary and secondary teachers which are no better than that of clerks. A large number of our teachers is, therefore, frustrated and uninterested.A teacher gets less money than a bus driver,carpenter etc or even lower than a semi-literate or an illiterate trader. This profession is a noble one since teachers mould young minds with knowledge, values and creativity.Gone are the days when teachers were highly respected in the society.
A teacher who is paid less hence confronts fincial crisis which shows how this noble profession is disrespected. Currently relevant example was prevalent in South Africa where teachers resigned or or took early retirement options in masses between 2012 and 2016.
A bank manger, D.C., commissioner or doctor is deemed more noted up since their contribution is more measureable and direct.A teacher’s contribution which is immeasurable is not nowadays appreciated while those occupations which are less qualified are appreciated with passion.
Let’s pledge today on this teachers’ day that we would double our efforts to appoint teachers on merit and it must be borne in mind that better opportunities, prospects and perks are offered to the teachers so that our country’s presence is felt in the region and around the globe.
The writer is a student based in Turbat.He can be reached at [email protected]
