Declining Respect for Teachers, A Threat to Our Educational System

When We respect Our Teachers, We honor the roots of knowledge because without them, wisdom cannot grow

- MUKHTAR AHMAD QURESHI

Inthe current fast moving world, where change is the only constant and expectations are constantly rising, one thing that must never change is our respect for teachers. Unfortu-nately, | believe we are moving away from this simple value.

When I glance around, I notice a disturbing trend the declining respect towards teachers, not just students, but from society in general. It is not only disappointing, but it is a threat to the very core of our educational system. We all recall those days when teachers were next only to parents. They were taken to be words of wisdom and their deeds as guiding lights. For indeed, most of us are where we are today because some teacher at some point believed in us. But today, things are not what they used to be. The respect that previously characterized the student teacher relationship is gradually being eroded and supplanted by criticism, complaints and even public humiliation. The society today is more inclined to have its eyes on the fault lines of teach-ers than to appreciate their work, sacrifices and commitment.

You and I know that nobody is perfect. There is every profession with its flaws and every profes-sional has space to develop and have scope for improvement. But the extent of inquiry and judg-ment that comes to teachers today is relative and unjustified. Rather than providing solutions, we tend to nitpick at their errors. We want them to be ideal knowledgeable, emotionally stable, dis-ciplined, compassionate and always present yet we sometimes forget that they are human beings as well, with their personal problems, families and weaknesses.