Educating a child is a two-way street

So the teachers are between the little devils and the deep sea. This sounds a little bit unacceptable but then this is what it looks like.

Going by the trend, of course this is not applicable everywhere and in all the instances; it would seem that the teachers would be more in the courtroom than the class room. Somewhere along the line we have to come to an understanding.

The root cause, as every one points out is that corporal punishment has been abolished. The teachers who mete out corporal punishment, more often than, will be liable for reprimand, if not other legal actions by the department. Ultimately, there is the danger of being dragged to the court either by the student or the parent.

It is not a nice situation for a teacher to be in. Consider the possibility of having to handle seven 45-minute of classes in a day. What will you receive at the end of the day. Lots of headaches, and going through the process of correcting a pile of home works.

Well, don’t complain. That is what you always wanted. You loved children. That is what we will say to the teachers.

Besides, teaching is a noble profession. The only problem is that the nobility of the profession is under fire.

We still have so many vacancies in the teaching cadre and many a graduate is not willing to join it. Going by the statistics, the need for teachers, trained and qualified ones, will be there for another 30 years or so.

We have always been speaking of the low quality of education. The tendency is to blame the teachers. It is obvious to every one that the quality of teachers compromises the quality of education. But there should be a way out of it. Haven’t we learnt our lesson?

Some system of improving the system should have been in place by now, considering that one of the greatest teachers is heading the education ministry. We should also realize that pointing a finger at others is not going to solve the problem. Every one is doing their job. Yet certain loopholes in the system don’t allow us to give our best.

So where do we begin?

It has already become a cliché to say that charity begins at home. It is felt that home is where everything should begin. Now the parents might say that the teachers are dumping their work on them.

The point is that if the plant hasn’t been watered well and nurtured in the nursery, then its growth will always be stunted. So is it with the children.

If they are not given the right sense of direction, the proper care, most of all, love and understanding, they will never come into the fold. Of course, not every child is expected to follow the required direction. What we always fail to understand is that with all the warts and quirks, the children have their own talents that need nurturing.

So blaming the children for their lack of discipline, which should have been inculcated at home, is not going to help. Nor will blaming the teachers enable parents to rid themselves of the guilt that is under the surface.

You may put your child in the best school or institution. But at the end of the day, it will only prove to be waste of money, time and efforts. Because, educating a child is a two-way street.