They do not have a passion for teaching. They are not going to light; ignite the flame of curiosity, of imagination of the students. A comment on the pathetic reasons people have for becoming teachers.
Mr. Gupta has just left, and how agile our minds are, is proved by the flashback my mind is screening. Three decades ago, while standing on Gondia railway station I was unintentionally eavesdropping. Or, rather I had no option because the duo was talking very loudly. The middle aged gentleman was telling the young man with glee, “You can’t say ‘no’. The girl is single haddi (slim), gori (fair) and ….(pause, drum roll) finishing her B.Ed.” The tone implied that it was an irresistible combination. I deduced B.Ed. added to the ‘will-do’ quotient of the bride. Teaching was deemed the most dignified job for girls by the just awakening middle class. That was then.
Even today it continues to be so. You want to increase the eligibility of your daughter in marriage market – make her do B.ed. Mr. Gupta’s daughter Nisha, who has two kids and has been in a bad marriage for the last ten years, is thinking of divorce; and he is making her do B.ed. Surprisingly, D.Ed and M.Ed. do not have the same glam quotient that B.Ed. has.
In India teaching is the job of choice for most girls. There are advantages galore. It allows them to be good wives – leaves them with sufficient time to be at home to cook, clean and supervise the home-works and studies of their children along with bringing in a good salary – the two in one syndrome. Then they have summer vacations also – they are a notch higher than office going wives in 9 to 5 jobs who are never available when needed (for slaving?). You can verify the preference for teachers in the matrimonial columns.
Mr. Gupta wants Nisha’s life to be hassle free. The general notion is that in teaching, compared to jobs in other fields, work pressure is less. Private schools may have more work pressure, but in government schools it is less. “Anyone can teach, no?” No aptitude and materialistic attitude suffices in life. Naturally for those who are working simply to earn money, without passion – work pressure does not exist. Quality Education – what is that? A good role model? Wait, wait – Nisha is interested in pursuing this career in teaching because she wants dough. The B.Ed. degree is mandatory for teaching in high schools – so here is Nisha, enrolling in B.Ed. Don’t be surprised if you find candidates with Ph.D. or ‘n’ number of years of experience in teaching, also enrolling along with Nisha, because B.Ed. is mandatory for getting increments too.
Mushrooming private B.Ed. colleges have made B.Ed. all the more soulless. At the time of admission each college has a stall of its own with the so called counsellors available. The counsellors do the noble job of counselling – bargaining, haggling – “Our college will give you readymade notes.” “Attendance? – no problem.” “You don’t have to attend college. You won’t even have to do practice teaching but our fee structure is….” Mr. Gupta has done his groundwork thoroughly. Now he also knows that each post has a fixed rate. Government schools fare better than semi-government and corporation schools. Young men willing to be employed find families, who are ready to pay this amount as a part of dowry payment, to make them their sons-in-law. And the Guptas know what daughters, compelled to break marriages, must do.
And the poor child who is to be educated, where is s/he in the picture? – Conveniently forgotten! Nisha, Mr. Gupta know that teachers play a very important role in student’s life. But the teachers, who come to the job with a questionable motive, and who get a training of questionable quality, are asked to take care of this ‘human putty’ sans enthusiasm, naturally fail in shaping it properly. Little wonder they turn learning into a chore. They fail to make class interaction lively and education fun. They make it a burdensome and serious business, stilling the flight even before it takes off.
Nisha or Mr. Gupta did not contribute to creating this scene. They are aware of the plight of the fledglings. But their plans, too, are the plans of victims. Or is it the victimized? SO, life goes on.
(Image credit: Memm from Wikimedia used under a CC BY 3.0 license)
