5 Reasons why teachers lost respect

- Pratik Badgujar

3 minute read

Teaching has always been considered a noble profession all over the world. However, it is a common observation that the nobility and respect of profession reduced over the years. But why is it so? What are the factors responsible for this reduction? Here are 5 reasons why teachers have lost their importance in present times:

Disclaimer: Before I mention points, I want to clarify that I have stated these factors concerning mediocre and pathetic institutions only. Many excellent institutes and teachers also exist who are a class apart, and in fact, it is because of them that India is dreaming of becoming a superpower.

        1. Commercialization of education: Over the years the core purpose of education in itself has changed. One should pursue education for learning concepts, facts of the field, and eventually gaining knowledge. Now, getting a job is the only purpose of students joining colleges. Due to this, obtaining marks or grades becomes their sole purpose, and the depth of knowledge is disregarded totally. A student feels that he/she can quickly get an entry-level job without in-depth understanding of the field.

        2. Lack of quest for knowledge: Most of the courses' curricula are designed to provide information about the fundamentals and methods of the field. There is minimal emphasis on using that information as a tool to generate new knowledge. We are living in an information age. I believe 90-95% of knowledge that mankind has developed is accessible through the internet. Hence dependence on a teacher for that information has been minimalized. 

        3. Reduction in exclusivity: In pre-internet times, technical knowledge was only available in colleges. Even the basic fundamentals were by and large inaccessible to the common man. Due to this, colleges, by their existence itself, garnered sufficient respect from society. Now the situation has changed altogether. Most colleges and universities hardly offer anything that a dedicated learner cannot learn through books and the internet.

        4. Incompetent Teachers: Not everybody can be a good teacher. A person can be the most knowledgeable in his/her field, but that does not translate to that he can also be the most influential teacher. Our academic system simply does not recognize this fact, and due to this, incompetent people become teachers, which leads to poor academics. Teaching aims to impart curiosity and understanding amongst the learner and not just to repeat what is already written in books and research papers. Yes, subject knowledge is necessary for teaching, but it is certainly not sufficient to appoint a teacher.

        5. Lack of Funding: India is a rich country with poor people. Due to huge inequality, quality education has become a luxury in the country. A large part of the population cannot pay a high amount of fees, and due to which it is challenging for an institute to provide quality educational services. If you see, most of the top institutes in our country are funded by either central or state governments. The number of such institutes is very few as compared to the population we have. Due to this, most institutes cannot pay good salaries to talented teachers. In the absence of fair wages, very few qualified people are attracted to teaching. Due to this, the overall quality of the battery of teachers is reduced.

 

To become a nation with great teachers, we need to work on these factors to eliminate or reduce them. I understand there are no easy solutions to these issues, and most of them are systemic. But it is only through an attempt to solve that even the impossible appearing problems are solved. Finally, I bow down with respect to all those great teachers who have contributed to imparting me their knowledge to the best of their abilities.

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