Why Teacher’s Day?

In perspective

“No nation can rise above the level of its teachers” -- (Prof Mopelola Omoegun, Nigerian educationist)

World Teachers’ Day is observed on October 5, but this was started only in 1994. It commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 UNESCO Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers. A laudable objective, but far from reality even to this day in our country!

Interestingly, India started celebrating Teachers’ Day in 1962, the year Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan became the second President of India. When his students approached him to let them celebrate his birthday, he expressed his desire to observe his birthday – September 5 – as a day for all teachers.

Radhakrishnan was quintessentially a teacher. He was a meritorious student, a celebrated teacher, a renowned author, a distinguished Vice Chancellor of Andhra University and Banaras Hindu University before becoming the first Vice President of India. He succeeded Rajendra Prasad as President.

That Teachers’ Day commemorates a great scholar-teacher-philosopher is in itself an honour to all teachers. Such a distinction also casts upon teachers, particularly of this generation, an added responsibility. It’s a wake-up call to teachers to consider teaching as a sacred vocation.

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Is there a decline in the level of respectability that the teachers enjoyed once? This is a disturbing question that begs an answer.

“The pandemic has shone a light on the irreplaceable value of the teaching profession in society but also on the difficult working conditions facing many teachers,” write UNESCO leaders in a statement. “On World Teachers’ Day, we are not only celebrating every teacher; we are calling on countries to invest in them and prioritise them in global education recovery efforts so that every learner has access to a qualified and supported teacher.”

Teaching has not been the best-paid profession in any country. The most recent OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) data indicates that salaries for school teachers is not very attractive in most countries, except in Luxemburg, the US, Germany, Canada, Netherlands, Australia and Ireland.

In India, schoolteachers in government-run and govt-aided schools get a decent remuneration, whereas in the private sector, barring exceptions, most of them do not get a fair deal and their plight leaves much to be desired. This is a very sad situation. It is not easy to set right this anomaly, but governments need to address it in all earnest. An unhappy teacher is not likely to be an inspiring teacher. We need to remember that “Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more” (Bob Talbert).

To be effective, a teacher has to be a happy and contented person. The wellness of a teacher is important because only such a teacher can have a sense of proportion and be able to create a positive impact on her students. A happy teacher is the best bet for children. A dissatisfied or unhappy teacher, on the other hand, will impact children in a negative way. An unhappy teacher will find a punching bag in every child. That will be the most unfortunate thing to happen to a child.

We therefore have to create conditions that will produce good teachers, because only they can create a good society. Children in their impressionable schooldays must experience the soothing touch of sincere teachers. Such teachers teach from the heart, and they can hear the heartbeat of the children. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the heart of teaching is in the heart of the teacher.

Teachers with commitment are a nation’s greatest asset. Let’s remember that students’ motivational level and attainment are directly proportional to the teacher’s calibre and commitment. Simply put, good teachers produce excellent students.

In other words, teachers should essentially be people with qualities of head and heart. Three key attributes make an excellent teacher.

Clear-headed: It is the capacity to think logically and coherently. Teachers need to be level-headed, with a sense of proportion. They need to be fair and sensitive to the needs of children. They should have the ability to instil a sense of curiosity in children and inspire them to learn better.

Warm-hearted: Teachers should have empathy toward children, with an ability to identify and promote their talents. They must be instinctively kind and compassionate and always put their heart and soul into their job.

Silver-tongued: Clarity is the hallmark of an effective teacher. Teachers must possess a fair amount of knowledge and good communication skills. They should be able to hold the attention of students by sheer dint of their mastery of the subject and its effective presentation.

Teachers’ Day becomes meaningful only when we attract more such teachers to this profession and enable them to stay on with vigour and enthusiasm.

(The author is Director, Little Rock Institutions, Brahmavar, Udupi)