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"They enter at the mercy of someone; they leave at the fury of some other" Jacques Barzun-a French American philosopher has rightly said that, ‘Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition’. Teachers Day as usual is observed every year and theoretically the teacher, his position and the prestige of his profession is glorified like anything, and also the philosophical discourses are conducted about what and how a teacher should do in this prophetic profession. But hardly we empathize with them and understand their problems or highlight the silent violence which the poor stock faces throughout. Let us know the pathetic tale of today’s teacher. Apart from those who teach in governmental educational institutions or at higher levels or who enjoy a prestigious position, there remains a bigger stock of those who are oppressed, depressed, exploited, insulted every day, every moment, known as private school teachers. These teachers today are at the cross roads and feel that they are put in a state of crisis and mental chaos and face disrespect at the hands of even those who are moulded to human beings by them. Though revered till the recent past, today they feel embarrassed to be called as teachers, due to the poor prestige and menial selling power attached to the profession. Is it the choice of today’s teacher to be patient and tolerate enough to his students and the rest of the society or a compulsion need to be seen? And it is Purely compulsion because of the dramatic shift toward deviant nature and attitude of the contemporary society and the valley not an exception.. Fact remains that a big chunk of them face humiliation and discrimination at the hands of their employers. Many of them are even castigated ruthlessly even before their students and fellow members on trifles. Both parents and students have turned offensive to a greater degree and have forgotten the respect a teacher deserves and everybody’s wrath is lonely faced by the poor fellow. On one hand, the government’s run school teachers are feeling handicapped as govt. orders them against stagnation and they are bound to give promotions to failure students as well, which has further snatched their authority and decision making in improving the education. on the other the private ones are fired despite the services of years together for a slight mistake, even if they don’t eulogize the school owners or express their opinion fully. They are forced to sign disastrous and harmful bonds and agreements by the school administrations which are always school friendly and never teacher friendly or kicked of if they fail to conform to this self destruction. They cannot quit the school in any condition for years together by themselves; Incase they leave, their salaries of months together is devoured and cut of by the school authorities, already earned by the poor oppressed fellows and this is the reflection of many big city schools.. They never live the life of their own as their self development and accumulation is discouraged by their masters. Despite no uniform and systematic hike in salary, no reasonable increments and other stipends, no enough leisure available, no teaching choice, no functional leaves at disposal,etc,. They work because many most of them couldn’t find any suitable jobs. Yes they have to leave when their employer kicks them or when they demand or begin to open their mouths. They are never let to unite and develop collective consciousness, they are made to work like slaves, forced to take ten or more classes in a single day for just Rs 2000 or up to rupees 5000 in many of the institutions. The pity is the name vacant period only exists for them in the school time table but never enjoyed literally, their already meager pay is further curtailed if they fell sick or get engaged in some unavoidable. Heartlessly insulted if late by two minutes, school buses have no seats for them, etc,. They always lack the sense of job security, no permanent system despite decades of services to a school; they have to quit anytime, not to talk of the pension system at all.. They enter the schools at the mercy of someone; they leave at the fury of some other, having nothing in their own hands. They lack their say in the schools only work like labourers, at the beck and call of their owners every moment. Despite giving their best to their schools, they lack the authority and participation in school management and school reforms. Well I am not trying to malign the teachers but afore mentioned are the atrocious experiences and observations witnessed at the grass root level amidst all that hollow glorification and theoretical sanctity of teacher community which is bestowed upon them on their international or national days.. There are constant threats of their expulsion by school employers if they fail to adhere to the school norms which are nothing but based on their oppression and hazardous working schedule. Today when govt. is controlling and regulating many of the affairs of the private schools, there is a dire need to look into the problems of this vulnerable stock which have gone astray, are wasted and neglected in all circles and bear only a hollow respectful label of teacher and face vicious behavior under this garb. They are purely slaves in the guise of teachers and their individuality even gets compromised. Innovation and self respect constantly snatched and impoverished by their working atmosphere. Reading papers and only praising and sycophancy for teachers on September, 5 is not adequate, the need of the hour is to do something virtually for them; Also action is a must against those who under the cloak of education have turned it to the mere economic activity and used teachers as input machines and inflicted violence on them. It is disheartening to observe that the empowerment of teachers and their say is totally discouraged in the entire educational system. Teacher community especially private teachers need to awake from their spirit seal slumber, which has rendered them fit for every violence and discrimination. There is a lot to be done to improve the condition of all teachers by the govt. and private employers and parents and students to return the glory and magnificence back to their teachers which their teaching profession had till the recent past had been enjoying. But teacher community also has forgotten many values; they in many cases and in many ways have themselves brought ignominy and dishonor to this noble and prophetic profession which calls for a strong introspection amongst teachers by themselves. There is a need for research on the conditions be it working conditions, wage earnings, job security, facilities available etc, to them to assess the gravity of the problems they are beset with and to arrive at rectification of those problems. Research on the socio-economic conditions of teachers and its relation with the development and quality of the education and education system is a major missing link, which the department of education and the concerned faculties at higher learning seats should undertake. Besides creation of teacher studies cell is also a must in our educational system to continue meaningful education, quality education and human development and above all to peep into the problems of our social engineers. Teachers themselves need to fight against their oppression and must celebrate their day with pride and enlighten themselves with knowledge, justice, accumulation and emancipation. They are themselves not aware of their rights and their day is celebrated by others. (Syed Adfar Rashid Shah is a Doctoral Candidate of Sociology from the Department of Sociology, Jamia Millia Islamia ,Central university, New Delhi.Mail at adfer.syed@gmail.com).
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private schoo teachers, culture of violence, job insecurity, lack of honour, suffering of unemployment, wretched of the earth.,
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