It’s going to be the silly season again. The pay commission recommendations are out. So, very shortly, the UGC appointed commission will come out with the recommendations for teachers in Universities and Colleges. But even before these recommendations are out, the calculators are out in the hands of some teachers and the surmises, estimates about how much are we to gain are being bandied about. The faces have already started to hang over what is considered to be peanuts doled out by the government and about how inflation will put paid to this miniscule rise.
But this is not what I want to write about. When the commission recommendations are out, the Maharashtra State Government will put up its own commission ostensibly to tailor these overall recommendations to the needs of the state. In reality though, the commission will make humiliating statements about the teachers being shirkers, about their non-accountability, about their being paid grossly more than the work they do or not do. The general populace will join in and a lot of letters to the editors will be written regarding the insincerity of today’s teachers, about how the present lot is out to malign the face of what once was a noble profession and about why teachers’ salaries should actually be reduced. Then the government will come out with fresh rules. They will peg the ‘work-load’ (load? Teachers are donkeys? Beasts of burden?) higher than the existing one to justify the higher pay the teachers will be receiving. They will increase the number of hours a teacher must spend in the campus in order to earn the increase in salary and so on and so forth. The worst part is that the teachers will not object to the offensive tone and content of what the government and the people at large spew forth.
And why will the teachers not object? The reason is simple – almost everything being said about the teachers is true! Not for all of them – there are a few who are just wonderful and these are the ones who feel the indignity of it all. But for most, there is no indignity; it’s just a necessary barrage that has to be borne before the higher scales are implemented.
We, a bunch of teachers from different disciplines, were sitting around doing admissions a few years back. One of the teachers, who was my teacher too, started berating the modern students. Everybody joined the tirade and I listened. Students did not want to attend classes. They did not understand what was good for them. They spent more time watching movies or in other worthless pursuits. India was rotting and the new generation was responsible for that. Blah … blah.. blah de blah…
“You are unusually silent,” said this teacher to me (the one who had been my teacher and a very bad teacher at that).
“What is there to say?” I asked.
“You have no views on the subject?”
“I have. But you are not going to like them.”
“Oh?” and the teacher looked at others. “Why don’t you say what you want to say? May be you are wrong and we may like your views.”
“A subject is as good as the teacher,” I said.
“What does that mean?” She asked.
“If the students don’t come to a particular class, it may be because they do not find the teacher useful. Have you ever thought that the teacher can be downright boring?”
“Oh! So you think that the teachers are at fault?”
“Not think, I know that most fault lies with the teachers. Not that the students are blameless, but the teachers are more responsible.”
Now the teachers were enraged by what I had said. “That’s not right,” my teacher scowled at me. “But since you have said it, you must now prove it.”
“Alright,” I said. “I will ask you all a few questions. Let’s see how many can you answer in the affirmative.”
The questions that I asked are given below.
- How many of us teach from the original text, not just the text books but the source books? How many of us teach from the notes that we prepared years ago?
- How many of us have even seen a journal, leave aside opening and reading, after getting into this job?
- How many of us are aware of the current advances in our subjects?
- How many of us subscribe to magazines from our own money and read them to find out what is happening around us?
- How many of us debate about the events and policies around us and contribute to opinion-making?
- How many of us even know where our past students are at this moment? What jobs they are doing and if they are doing research, what are the areas they are researching?
- How many of us love teaching, truly love teaching?
- How many of us prepare for a class even today? There is a lot to prepare actually. The subjects are not dead. They keep moving ahead and the things written in the text books are where the subject was about 5 years ago. That is the nature of the best of the text books. How many of us prepare for telling the students where the subject actually stands today?
- How many of us do not scold the students when they ask a question discomfiting us?
- How many of us realize that we indulged in as much fun and frolic when we were students and the current batch of students are doing just that? Only the medium has become different from our own.
I could have asked many more questions. But these were enough. Nobody even tried answering these. But it left a lot of bad blood between me and them. They have never involved me in their debates regarding the uselessness of the modern students after this incident.
But are the teachers to be blamed or is there a deeper rooted malaise? This is the final question that I am asking in this post.
In the Gurukul system that India had, there was a very peculiar practice – at least in the Takshshila gurukul. From the passing out students, one or two students – those which were the top of the class – were retained to teach at the Gurukul. Others could go home and indulge themselves in whatever other profession they cared for. See something here? The best were to teach. For other professions, lesser students could do.
Now look at what happens today. As it is, the salaries are unattractive and so the talent is not attracted. But even when a person wants to come in owing to his love for the profession, does he get entry easily? No. The talents that the selectors look for are quite different today. You think that there is only 50% reservation? Think again. That 50% is for the caste and it is bad. But the rest of the 50% is also reserved. You know someone in the management? You are related to someone in the management or the Principal or some other politically important personality? Or, do you have money so that you could pay your way through? You have no knowledge of the subject and no talent to teach? It does not matter. There are books and the students can self learn. The truth of the matter is that you will be selected if you have some suitable political connection. The only time a talented guy/girl gets in is when no one of the reserved category is available.
Now, look at how reservation works here. Reservation in a bank, in some clerical service or even in some other skilled job is still alright. But reservation in teaching profession (not just caste based, any other type as I have said above) is just too bad. One donkey, one idiot here produces god knows how many idiots in his lifetime. A bad teacher kills the academic thirst of a student. A bad teacher kills the questioning attitude of the young mind. A bad teacher can even poison a young mind. A bad teacher creates students who have lost their power of imagination and creative thinking.
Things don’t stop here. They get worse because we have democracy in the educational institutions. So, you have to play politics to get to become a dean, an academic councilor, chairman of a board o studies, member of management council and even to become a VC. Who plays politics? These same reserved category people who have no interest in academics play politics while the handful who are truly academic mind their academics. So, the policy makers are all those who have nothing to do with the academics in any case. So they frame policies that make pursuit of academics increasingly difficult.
But why should the government blame the teachers? You have put those teachers there blind to the fact that this is one area where you should get the best talents. When you have degraded the profession so completely and so directly, what right do you have to go teacher-bashing everytime some reason presents itself?
And why should the people blame the teachers? Did you do anything, did you agitate, when this profession which affects the new generation of all of you was being degraded by the government? Are some of you not happy and make elated noises everytime some idiot like Arjun Singh increases the reserved quota? Have you not allowed the things to rot even when you knew that they were rotting? So do not blame the current crop of teachers. THEY ARE THE MANIFESTATION OF THE SINS COMMITTED BY YOU.
Close
Dear avinashjhee,
An excellent anlysis. i am now conducting a series of programmes
with senior lectuerers of an engineering college
on how to make the calls relevant and interesting to students...
enjoyed the full analysis....
Reply | | Report Abuse
So true..
Reply | | Report Abuse
INDIMAG
Thanks for the comment. Your sarcasm is not misplaced. It is indeed the politicians who have done deeds that no patriot can ever do.
But also include the media along with them. I believe that between the two, the media is ready to be the worse!
Regards
Avinash
Reply | | Report Abuse
Narvekarji,
Thanks a lot for your learned comment. that you took the trouble inspite of the condition you mentioned makes me feel grateful.
Thanks once again
Regards
Avinash
Reply | | Report Abuse
Friend2003
J Krishnamurthy was absolutely right - it is indeed the educator that needs educating! I went abck and read your earlier post and agree with the basic proposition laid down there.
Reply | | Report Abuse
When you have a bunch of idiots (aka politicians) running the country, what more can you expect ? Shame on us for expecting better. Most of the lot are near illiterates and long standing policies that shape the country are well beyond their grey matter. In these upper echelons the matter if any you would find, is a color brown. Every time I look at what we have done in India, I am re-assured of a saying I heard a few years ago
"Politicians are like diapers, almost always full of crap; if not, it's a matter of time.."
A very heartfelt and nice article...
Reply | | Report Abuse
Dear Avinashjee, Respects & Regards. Sorry for the
inevitable delay in replying ! I have a problem of
Vertigo, you see, and many a times, I can not sit on
a computer.
Well, your writing on present education system and
the clan of teachers is very informative.
Gurukul system of education was ideal.
See, Knowledge is to know. One has to prepare
from source books and be alert on current advances
on the subject.
It's hightime, India put a stop to caste based reservations,
as it's affecting meritocracy.
........Your articles are full of knowledge and information,
worth attention.
Let more and more flow out of your pen.
God Bless.
Reply | | Report Abuse
Avinashjee,
That was a very good blog on the state of indian education.
My "guru" J.Krishnamurti always use tosay that "it is the educator
that needs educating". Your blog has the same tone. I agree,
we need to stop blaming the students and focus on how we can
reform the system.
In an earlier post, I had said that (primary) education is the bedrock
on which the strongest foundations are laid for a prosperous &
happy society.
Reply | | Report Abuse
Rajee,
The data you have given is true. Only the figures vary from state to state. I cannot argue about that and do not wish to object. That is - without going this side - what I have said. I have been more bothered abou the mental corruption from which follows every other corruption.
1. However, please answer these questions -
2. who appoints these teachers?
3. What are the considerations for these appointments?
4. Are the selection criteria based on merits or on other credentials?
5. Did you or other citizens cry out for an education system free of politicians' meddling?
6. If not so, is it correct to spew venom on the whole system?
Gita says that the person who meekly suffers injustice is as much a criminal as the person who perpetrates the injustice.
By that consideration I and you and countless wonderful people in this country are equal criminals.
Thanks for your comments.
Thanks for the commendation.
Avinash
Reply | | Report Abuse
Dear Avinashji,
I avoided coming here because I have NO RESPECT FOR TEACHERS AND THE EDUCATION SYSTEM. They have been commercialised for the last 20 years. I am so convinced on this that even if a persons say THAT COMMANDS YOU ARE WRONG-----I will say," GOD IS WRONG'
Can you imagine in CHANDIGARH, STUDENTS of both PRIVATE and GOVT schools d PLUS two classes do not ateend the school after they have got the admissions? You know why? their teachers encourage them NOT to attend classes but go for TUTION. EACH subject of a science student costs some 12000--18000 per annum---threetimes a week---one hour in every sitting. I was shocked when my niece shifted from LUDHIANA to attend these TUTION CLASSES. When I asked her asto who would attend the school--she simply said---NOT REQUIRED. EACH 11th class/12th student pays a minimum sum of Rs 54000 per annum to private tutors.
Mind you all this is NON TAXED INCOME. THey earn in CRORES per year--and buy big mansions under the very nose of these INCOME TAX guys and POLICE WALLAHS. I am shocked. Is this education ? Do they qualify to be teachers?
I am convinced THE TEACHERS ARE THE MOST CORRUPT IN THIS COUNTRY AND THAT IS WHY CORRUPTION IS RAMPANT IN INDIA. Do not blame the politicians , bureaucrats , policemen and business men for this. No, not even other govt employees. First sort out EDUCATION and teachers--confiscate all this ill-acquired property--running into crores--they ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF VIOLENCE AND CORRUPTION IN INDIA. I will not be convinced even if a THOUSAND teachers give clarifications--TEACHER IS A WORD SYNONYMOUS WITH CORRUPTION--no one else.
regards. rajee.
Reply | | Report Abuse
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- Next 7»
Displaying 1 - 10 of 195 Blog Comments