Ma recently completed 25 years of service as a Mathematics teacher in her school. She’s one of the senior-most teachers in the school and teaches eleventh and twelfth standard students. There was a silent ceremony in our school (I am an alumni) wherein she, along with the other staff members who had completed their 25 yrs, was given a token of appreciation (that being a shawl and a shield honoring her, for her dedicated service). A student said something for a few minutes about the teachers, and then some pics were taken, and then everyone got back to their routine work.
Since the past ten to twelve years, Ma has been extremely unhappy by the drastic transformation in the working atmosphere in the school. Her first problem is an extremely unfriendly and a hegemonist boss (the Principal), who hates South Indians, and loathes experienced teachers and abhors those who don’t grovel and go out of the way to please her. This makes Ma fulfil all the noble prerequisites for being the perfect enemy. And this goes for all the other South Indian/ experienced/ self respecting teachers in the school.
Treasuring an old employee always helps.
There are some incredulous rules in the school. Some of them that are on the top of my mind are listed below:
1. Teachers are not supposed to leave the classroom in between a period. Even if it is an emergency (like an urgent call from home, or to get a book/paper to be used during the period, or even if it’s going to the loo!). Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work.
2. Teachers are not supposed to sit while teaching. Not even for a minute. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work. Ditto while invigilating an examination. Mind you… this means a person roams around for three hours at a stretch without rest. And ambling around isn’t even an exercise. No consideration for his/her age or health.
3. There should be no cuts or over writing on the report card. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work. Now this is very necessary. The class teacher should be very particular about the quality of her work. Especially when she has over 40-50 report cards, a student ‘character and performance appraisal’ commentary form attached to each of them, (which would be nothing short of a brief essay on each student’s yearly performance). No negative comments mind you. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the insensitive attitude towards the student.
4. A teacher cannot go out of the premises during working hours(8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.). Not even during lunch period. Otherwise it shall be considered a half day or a full day leave as the case may be, even if she/he falls ill during the day and is taken to the hospital. If there is no leave remaining, the next attack is on earn leaves. Commendable. Now no teacher can bunk the lunch period and go to the nearby bank to withdraw some money. He/she WILL HAVE TO HAVE lunch and tea during the break. And now it’s easier. The break is just for fifteen minutes. So by the time someone suffering from arthritis climbs down the stairs and reaches the staff room, the period’s actually over. Awesome. Some brains can really work!
And then there are some uglier, unsaid rules of the game. Favorite teachers are always safe. They never get memos. They are never shouted at. They are never ridiculed in front of their students. They are made in charge of various programs or heads of departments without any prior notice to the existing teachers in-charge of the same. They never have tight working schedules (read eight out of nine periods of breathing chalk powder and shrieking your guts out… of course standing throughout).
A happy employee results in a happy customer.
Ma’s second problem is the increasing detachment from her students. One can imagine a strict, middle aged, sari-clad South Indian Math teacher. Ma’s just like that. When she used to teach us, Ma was known for her straight faced one liner jokes and also for the way she used to control her students. I still remember us nick naming her RDX. Yeah yeah… me too.
Now the situation is completely different. The students have absolutely no fear, no respect for the old teachers, she claims. They crack jokes at their face, throw things at them, snap back and sometimes even threaten to sue them. As school kids, even we used to be mischievous, used to crack jokes and blah blah. But the intensity and intentions were different then. And in spite of all of that, used to love our teachers. But, the courtesy and empathy is all gone now. What add to the trauma, are the school rules which admonish teachers from being insensitive and rude to children. One cannot even raise one’s voice, leave alone punishing them.
Ma hates going to a place where her experience and knowledge is considered irrelevant by her seniors and her students. It’s only natural. Each day, I helplessly watch her go into depression. She remains quiet most of the time and refuses to socialize with people. She has lost all her energy and verve to work. “Im waiting for Unni (my brother) to get settled in his life”, she would say. So many times I’ve asked her to change her job, but I get the same reply all the time. “I’m too old for such a big change. Moreover, it’s the same story in all the schools you know.”
I am dead against Corporal Punishment. I feel it demeans a child and destroys his sense of confidence. Absolutely. But scolding a child for his mistakes is not wrong. All of us have been scolded and punished for our stupidities during school days. I have such a nice time reminiscing about good ol days... I still love all my teachers... Dearly. And i believe that it's because of their help and blessings that i am what i am today.
I really cannot understand why things are always on either extremes. Either the students are severely treated and harassed mentally, physically and sexually, or teachers are tortured, ridiculed, admonished and treated like dirt. If measures are being taken to make pedagogy efficient, then this should be a two sided process. If the teachers’ power to punish and scold is being taken away, then the students also shouldn’t have any right to abuse a teacher. Why should there be a lack of parity here? After all, the act of ridiculing affects everyone in the same way- be it a teacher or a student. The schools should have equal rules for both the teachers and the students.
"Teaching is a noble profession." Rightly said. And it is up to us to keep it like that in future as well.
That all.. Hmph!!!
Since the past ten to twelve years, Ma has been extremely unhappy by the drastic transformation in the working atmosphere in the school. Her first problem is an extremely unfriendly and a hegemonist boss (the Principal), who hates South Indians, and loathes experienced teachers and abhors those who don’t grovel and go out of the way to please her. This makes Ma fulfil all the noble prerequisites for being the perfect enemy. And this goes for all the other South Indian/ experienced/ self respecting teachers in the school.
Treasuring an old employee always helps.
There are some incredulous rules in the school. Some of them that are on the top of my mind are listed below:
1. Teachers are not supposed to leave the classroom in between a period. Even if it is an emergency (like an urgent call from home, or to get a book/paper to be used during the period, or even if it’s going to the loo!). Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work.
2. Teachers are not supposed to sit while teaching. Not even for a minute. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work. Ditto while invigilating an examination. Mind you… this means a person roams around for three hours at a stretch without rest. And ambling around isn’t even an exercise. No consideration for his/her age or health.
3. There should be no cuts or over writing on the report card. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the lack of dedication and frivolous attitude towards work. Now this is very necessary. The class teacher should be very particular about the quality of her work. Especially when she has over 40-50 report cards, a student ‘character and performance appraisal’ commentary form attached to each of them, (which would be nothing short of a brief essay on each student’s yearly performance). No negative comments mind you. Otherwise a memo shall be issued for the insensitive attitude towards the student.
4. A teacher cannot go out of the premises during working hours(8.00 a.m. to 2.00 p.m.). Not even during lunch period. Otherwise it shall be considered a half day or a full day leave as the case may be, even if she/he falls ill during the day and is taken to the hospital. If there is no leave remaining, the next attack is on earn leaves. Commendable. Now no teacher can bunk the lunch period and go to the nearby bank to withdraw some money. He/she WILL HAVE TO HAVE lunch and tea during the break. And now it’s easier. The break is just for fifteen minutes. So by the time someone suffering from arthritis climbs down the stairs and reaches the staff room, the period’s actually over. Awesome. Some brains can really work!
And then there are some uglier, unsaid rules of the game. Favorite teachers are always safe. They never get memos. They are never shouted at. They are never ridiculed in front of their students. They are made in charge of various programs or heads of departments without any prior notice to the existing teachers in-charge of the same. They never have tight working schedules (read eight out of nine periods of breathing chalk powder and shrieking your guts out… of course standing throughout).
A happy employee results in a happy customer.
Ma’s second problem is the increasing detachment from her students. One can imagine a strict, middle aged, sari-clad South Indian Math teacher. Ma’s just like that. When she used to teach us, Ma was known for her straight faced one liner jokes and also for the way she used to control her students. I still remember us nick naming her RDX. Yeah yeah… me too.
Now the situation is completely different. The students have absolutely no fear, no respect for the old teachers, she claims. They crack jokes at their face, throw things at them, snap back and sometimes even threaten to sue them. As school kids, even we used to be mischievous, used to crack jokes and blah blah. But the intensity and intentions were different then. And in spite of all of that, used to love our teachers. But, the courtesy and empathy is all gone now. What add to the trauma, are the school rules which admonish teachers from being insensitive and rude to children. One cannot even raise one’s voice, leave alone punishing them.
Ma hates going to a place where her experience and knowledge is considered irrelevant by her seniors and her students. It’s only natural. Each day, I helplessly watch her go into depression. She remains quiet most of the time and refuses to socialize with people. She has lost all her energy and verve to work. “Im waiting for Unni (my brother) to get settled in his life”, she would say. So many times I’ve asked her to change her job, but I get the same reply all the time. “I’m too old for such a big change. Moreover, it’s the same story in all the schools you know.”
I am dead against Corporal Punishment. I feel it demeans a child and destroys his sense of confidence. Absolutely. But scolding a child for his mistakes is not wrong. All of us have been scolded and punished for our stupidities during school days. I have such a nice time reminiscing about good ol days... I still love all my teachers... Dearly. And i believe that it's because of their help and blessings that i am what i am today.
I really cannot understand why things are always on either extremes. Either the students are severely treated and harassed mentally, physically and sexually, or teachers are tortured, ridiculed, admonished and treated like dirt. If measures are being taken to make pedagogy efficient, then this should be a two sided process. If the teachers’ power to punish and scold is being taken away, then the students also shouldn’t have any right to abuse a teacher. Why should there be a lack of parity here? After all, the act of ridiculing affects everyone in the same way- be it a teacher or a student. The schools should have equal rules for both the teachers and the students.
"Teaching is a noble profession." Rightly said. And it is up to us to keep it like that in future as well.
That all.. Hmph!!!
