Who loses when a teacher is slapped

The recent incident in which a student union leader, accompanied by a group of supporters, slapped a teacher in the presence of police, fellow teachers, and students was not an outburst of anger, it was a calculated performance of power.

- ANISH GUPTA

Even last year’s student union leader also reportedly went around several colleges, creating ruckus and even misbehaving with a physically challenged teacher. Perhaps a competition of sorts has begun, a race for cheap publicity. This time, the opportunity presented itself, and the act was performed.

However, the purpose of this article is not to deliver moral sermons or indulge in emotional rhetoric such as “a society that disrespects teachers cannot progress,” nor to recall the old dictum that “the guru is equal to God.” Instead, it seeks to reflect on what such incidents do to the classroom, to the act of teaching, to educational institutions, and most importantly, to the students who remain silent, thinking it is not their concern.

The focus here is certainly on the University of Delhi which, being one of the finest institutions in the country, has been relatively less affected by such acts of violence. Elsewhere, however, we know of cases where teachers have had their hands chopped off, been stabbed, and even killed in broad daylight in several state universities.

NON MECHANICAL SIDE OF TEACHING

Those in the teaching profession know that teaching is not a mechanical process one can switch on at will. It is a deeply human exchange, sustained by trust, curiosity, and respect. The quality of a lecture depends on the teacher's enthusiasm, which in turn rests on many delicate factors that often seem trivial to outside professions, such as whether the students present in the class today were present in the last class or not.

There's another, often overlooked, side to this non-mechanical process. When a student joins classes long after the semester has begun, the teacher is under no obligation to repeat everything that has already been taught. In technical subjects, where each concept builds on the previous one, such delays can make it almost impossible for late-admitted students to grasp the material.