Dignity of teacher
Nasir Ali Syed

Learning is one thing and the passing of examination another. Making of personality demands the conditioning of minds and forming of behaviours and attitudes harmonious and balanced for the uplift of the collective betterment of a society.
Education is the agency through which information and knowledge are transferred from one mind to other minds. The communication of information is easier in comparison with the transfer of knowledge, which is the name of concept making. This is done through defining things and concepts. Education portrays pictures of concrete and abstract phenomenon upon the minds of pupils.
The job of a teacher is to define, interpret and elaborate concepts both material and immaterial. By definition, the teacher has to shift the picture, which is there imprinted upon his mind to the slate of the mind of the student. This is not one-sided process; the modern concept is that both the teacher and the taught take part in the completion of the project of a certain topic pertained to a certain subject. A true teacher leads the way but the students are not supposed to remain inactive throughout.
Education makes you to discriminate what to say at what time and how to behave under different circumstances differently in such a manner that the net outcome should not only benefit you at individual level but the collective will of the society could also be saved. All this is done through the education system. The role of a teacher is vital in this regard. Knowledge is light and the teacher is supposed to be the torchbearer of that light. Liberal atmosphere provides the right platform to spread light, which converts a rigid and rugged mind into, sophisticated one. Liberal minds are formed under free environment where the freedom of expression is guaranteed in the real sense of the term.
Irony of our education system is that most of our teachers are not teachers by choice but they are here only because of the stroke of fate and accident. It is not the matter of great wonder; no mother yarns to see her child a teacher. Our social system, which is the fusion of feudalism, sardarism, wadaraism, khanism and capitalism, does not accommodate the high ideals propounded through education. Our education system is also the replica of our social system. The discrimination, which we find at societal level, finds its way in the education system as well.
Different educational institutions represent different sections of the society. The teacher, rightly or wrongly, is a tool in the hands of the affluent classes and promotes their vested interests by teaching the syllabus prescribed from the above. He is neither allowed nor he is courageous enough to cross the arena demarcated for him. That is why he is suffering at the hands of those who are supposed to be the custodians of the extant norms of the society. It is a fact that still we have a good number of teachers, under this deteriorated system, which retain great potential and if the academia of the institutions is restored they can contribute more than their energy and could take the nation to the right direction i.e. enlightenment.
It is a matter of great satisfaction that the Punjab Government and particularly the CM Ch Pervaiz Illahi is taking keen interest in the promotion of education and it has started from the right place i.e. the uplift of the status of teacher. The history of the whole mankind shows that only those nations made progress, which made their teacher the pivotal point of their activity and more importantly showered respect upon him. Here a few examples are quoted.
Once, a team of journalists visited Japan to have a close look at the education system. In an institution, they saw an astonishing scene; the students were taking long leaps to pass that way where there was visibly no ditch or gap. On being asked, they told that the shadow of one of their teachers was falling on the ground and the lovers of knowledge did not want to place their foot upon it. Japan is a land where you would find the people reading books at all the public places. Books are their best friends and their teachers are the assets to whom they regard from the core of their hearts. It is their education system and the teacher, which helped them to flourish from the ruins of the Second World War.
Hitler, an otherwise staunch dictator had ordered that no teacher should be asked to come in the meetings, which he had to attend, prior to his arrival, so that the teacher may not be made to stand. Such was the sense of respect towards a teacher of the leader of a nation, which produced professors cum philosophers like Hegal, Karl Marx and Angles and no other nation match them in the domain of philosophy.
Once the Viceroy Hind visited Ali Garh College, took a round of the college, the principal did not wear the hat as a token of respect. The moment they went out of the premises of the alma mater, the principal wore the cap anon. On the inquiry of the Viceroy, the principal told that within the premises, he was the principal and without, the Viceroy is the Chief Executive. The great Viceroy acclaimed and appreciated this act of the British principal. Both of them were the representatives of a great colonial Empire.
Nations do not win stars over night. They had to pass through a lengthy evolutionary process, which culminates, into a culture of love for knowledge and respect for those who are considered to be translators of their high ideals. Among them fall their political leaders, religious demagogues and teachers. Great nations do not compromise at the low reflections of their characters. They forgive their common lot at their mistakes but do not exempt those who hold the reins of their social fabric. They remain very selective and expect extraordinary sense of professional commitment from them. When they place their teacher at the top, their expectations also go manifold. In American hierarchy, the President comes first, the superior judiciary, the second and the teacher falls at the third place and rest of the professions fall behind.
Conclusively, dignity of a teacher and the glory of a society are mutually inclusive features. It is a matter of relief that the President, the PM, the CM Punjab and most of the key figures sitting in the ruling corridors are enlightened and dedicated men and want to take the nation on the track of enlightened moderation. They have chosen the right way at the right time. The elements of religious bigotry, fanaticism and terrorism can properly be tackled by bringing a healthy change in the minds of the people and the education system, which revolves around the teacher, can play vital role in this regard.