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The strained thread
MUDMAYEE CHATURVEDI
Going through the writings of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, one can sense his indebtedness to his teachers. There have been other greats in history who have sworn by their mentors and there have been teachers who have played vital roles in sculpting fine individuals.
The post 2K university scenario of teacher-taught relationship that I have been witness to for the last six years manifested in incidents like Ujjain and Meerut. What has brought us here?
The market culture that confines the pious relation to that of a service provider and service seeker and the increased intertwining of education and politics seem to have taken a toll.
Laying the first footstep in the university system, it was a shock to hear students address teachers as ‘Yeh Log.’ The students apparently were fond of teachers who delayed internal examinations to their whims and fancies, who ‘cooperated’ while setting internal assessment papers and awarding marks. Any strict action like prohibiting students from taking examinations in the absence of required attendance was met with huge dissent and the teacher was permanently tagged as anti-student.
To cut a long story short, a puppet like teacher who gave away to all illegitimate demands of students was hailed. Most of the self-financing professional course students have the thought impregnated deep in their minds that since they pay heavily for their courses, it is the duty of teachers to submit to their demands and ‘help’ them gain percentage required for jobs. The conventional course students suffer from utter disrespect of their courses.
Shortcomings
This brings to light the shortcomings of the much applauded Right to Information Act, transparency and student elections aimed at providing training in democratic processes and culture. The RTI Act ensures that students can poke their noses in administrative matters and hence act as reverse catalyst in the functioning of teaching staff. Elections seem to legitimise students’ say in all subjects and thus provide them an upper hand over teachers that should have been otherwise for a good relation to flourish.
On the other hand, the poor calibre teaching staff, incapable of satisfying academic and intellectual needs of students, have further made teachers a subject of mockery. The administrative responsibilities, either forcibly assigned or taken up by choice for monetary gains, have distracted teachers, giving a severe blow to their image. The hunger for power in the educational system reigns supreme and students are used as tools to accomplish cherished dreams. The old problems like favouritism have remained in place.
The scenario has resulted in the day’s strained teacher-taught relationship capable of causing a greater harm than we can perceive: a frustrated generation devoid of proximal idols, that does not see right from wrong, that finds fallacies in all systems but has no concrete plans to fight back and thus, goes with the flow instead. It’s time we made amends.
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