Let’s teach the teachers first

<i>“Guru Brahma, Guru Bhisnu, Guru Dev Maheshwar, Guru Sakshyat Pram Brahma Tasmaysri Gurube namah.”</i> <br><br>

When we asked a question on Zeenews.com the other day, on whether schools in India are ill-equipped to handle the problems of a 21st century child, an overwhelming 91 percent of the respondents answered in the affirmative. <br><br> The view might have been emotionally influenced by two recent incidents, but they are justified. In the first incident, 17-year-old Aakriti died as the school authorities failed to give her timely treatment after an Asthma attack. <br><br> In another case, school-going kid Shanno died after her MCD school teacher made her squat with seven bricks on her back in the scorching sun in mid-April after she failed to recite the English alphabet correctly. <br><br> Both the events are tragic. Notably, both happened in the national capital, Delhi. Another important point to be noted here is that while one incident happened in a reputed public school for the kids of the super rich, the other took place at a local school where the children of the poor receive an education. Clearly, there is no disparity. <br><br> Can this is be called an one-off incident? Absolutely not. <br><br> The honourable Union Minister for Women and Child Development (WCD), exploiting the incident fully knowing that the elections are underway, tried everything she could do – ordering investigation and providing well-aimed sound bytes to show how deeply she was concerned. But she only found time to visit Aakriti’s family not Shanno’s. <br><br> I do not doubt her intentions here at all. <br><br> But does our government really care for the standard of education in India? <br><br> Personally, I am emotional about this topic because I have seen the pathetic standard of education in my own state, Orissa. Though I have come across several inspiring teachers whom I look up to and regard as catalysts in changing my life, I have also seen many who thrashed their students for no reason at all, and regarded their mere presence in the school premises a fulfilment of their duty. <br><br> Teaching is not everyone’s cup of tea. Merely reciting facts from a pile of books before a fidgeting class of youngsters does not make one a good teacher. Rather, it is the art of simplifying the enormous sea of information and putting it before students interestingly, much like a mother feeds her baby. Without compassion, without realising the requirement of the receivers, and even without realising the nobility of this responsibility, teaching becomes an arduous chore. <br><br> In Hinduism, we are taught that a Guru’s (teacher) position in our lives is superior to that even of God. We are taught to respect our teachers from the core of our heart and be grateful to them all our life. <br><br> If one goes through the Puranas and Vedas, he/she would find numerous instances of the same. But, it is always said that one should choose his/her teachers very carefully. <br><br> Coming back to the present from the annals of religion, I would like to present a few realities that offer a glimpse into how serious the government – both at the Centre as well as in the states - is regarding education. <br><br> India needs to increase its expenditure on education to six percent of its GDP, which has been accepted year after year by every government since Independence. The Economic Survey 2007-08 also refers to this elusive goal of revenue allocation. <br><br> Thankfully there’s a ray of hope. The Right to Education Bill, a legislation sought to enact the 86th Constitutional amendment, was passed by the Cabinet in November 2008 and may soon become an Act, once the new government at the Centre sworn in. Under the 86th Constitutional amendment the governments at the state and Centre will legally bounded to allocate funds for education besides host of other benefit. <br><br> The government in the year 2008-09 Union Budget earmarked Rs 34,400 crore for the sector, showing an increase of 20% from Rs 28,674 crore allocated in the last Budget, but was significantly less than the 34% increase implemented in the previous year. <br><br> Education, which was originally a state subject, was shifted to the concurrent list by the 42nd amendment. <br><br> So far, so good. <br><br> Under the Tenth Five Year Plan, in a bid to cover maximum children under the education ambit, the Government of India formulated the para-teachers policy. <br><br> Under the policy, simple graduates to even half literate people were employed to fill up the vacant teachers’ posts in government schools. Despite availability of huge funds, most of these posts were vacant due to the inefficiency and mismanagement of state governments. <br><br> In Orissa, the government appoints simple graduates as teachers for a meagre Rs 1,500-2,000. They are mostly meant to be primary school teachers where there is an acute dearth of teaching staff. The programme’s primary aim is to employ more and more “literates” to fill vacancies to make the illiterate read and write. <br><br> Unavailability of employment opportunities drives people to fill these posts in hordes. This employment opportunity has, as a result, ended up becoming just that - an employment opportunity. This feverish quest for a job has changed the mindset of even trained and qualified teachers, who regard their profession a mere source of employment, rather than the noble profession of imparting knowledge that it actually is. <br><br> During my schooling in Orissa, I came across quite a few such ‘uneducated’ teachers; leave alone being taught by adequately trained and sensitive individuals, who are supposed to build the future of India. <br><br> “The involvement of educated unemployed rural youth in primary education sounded socially and politically correct. To those seeking reform in the system, along the lines of decentralisation, it promised 'community involvement'. To the politician, it promised a new means of tantalising the vast body of frustrated, jobless youth. To policy planners and bureaucrats, it suggested an innovative way to spend less money on primary education. And to everybody concerned about the state of education in a vague, generalised sense, it offered an opportunity to show to the full-time teacher that he or she was not indispensable,” said Frontline, a popular magazine, in its November 29, 2001 issue. <br><br> But consider the facts below: <br><br> - In the 1980s, Rajasthan recruited 'shiksha karmis' from among the ‘unemployed’ village youth to act as teachers in the local primary school under the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA). <br><br> - Of all para-teachers schemes, most require an intermediate degree as the qualifying education. Rajasthan SKP is the only scheme where minimum qualification for para-teachers has been kept as low as VIII standard and in case of women - 5th standard!! <br><br> True, the government has initiated a number of schemes to spread literacy and to bring about universalisation of elementary education in the country. Notable among these are the Total Literacy Campaign, National Literacy Mission, Operation Blackboard in (1987-88), District Primary Education Programme, National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education, and the omnipresent Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. <br><br> The Indian government had also established Navodaya Vidyalayas in 1985-86 and Kendriya Vidyalayas in 1965 to provide quality education to the talented lot in the country. <br><br> But all these steps have been far from sufficient to provide decent quality education to the average mass, which is still poor. Moreover, in the light of the above facts, it is brazenly inadequate. <br><br> While funds are available, the motivation and sensitivity that drives the fire of education is missing. <br><br> A recent Bollywood hit ‘Tare Zameen Par’ highlighted this sensitive and insightful quality that helps in understanding the student’s plight with a sympathetic and skilled mindset. The protagonist, a dyslexic kid, is saved from permanent emotional and personality scarring by such a teacher. The child is tutored by the keen teacher and is discovered to be an excellent performer and a gifted student. <br><br> Conclusion - let’s teach the teachers first.