“You should not comment on social or political issues because you are a teacher.” I received the message from a person who follows me on Facebook. Out of curiosity I asked him why. He replied, “The role of a teacher is to teach and not to engage in activism.” This was not the first time that I received such a message from friends and acquaintances.
Later, I initiated a discussion on the topic by seeking reaction from my FB friends to the statement. Almost all who took part in the discussion said that teachers have a greater role to play as critics and activists.
Engage or not?
What is the role of a teacher? Should teachers comment on social and political issues or should they focus only on academics? Teachers should not be mere providers of knowledge, though a vast of majority of teachers belong to the category. If they are mere providers of knowledge, they can very well be replaced by machines. They are expected to be well aware of what is happening around them, analyse each issue objectively, comment on it critically, demonstrate intellectual courage and intellectual honesty, encourage their students and others to become critical thinkers, and to educate people. In other words, teachers have to play the role of educators and be agents of social change.
Globally, there have been many academic activists who have lived a meaningful life by standing for truth, fighting for justice and being the voice of/for the voiceless. Noam Chomsky is one of the well-known academic activists. Considered one of the most brilliant, courageous and influential intellectuals alive, Chomsky in his 1967 essay titled The Responsibility of Intellectuals says, “It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and to expose lies.” He, professor emeritus at MIT, has been a strong social critic and political analyst.
Stephen Krashen, professor emeritus at the University of Southern California, is also a well-known linguist, educational researcher and political activist. “I think academics have a responsibility to share their knowledge with the public. It takes tremendous academic courage and energy for young people to be activists, because of their work and family responsibilities, and the fear of losing their positions,” he told me in an interview.
Sharing views
In India too, we have had brilliant academic activists. One classic example is U.R Ananthamurthy who was “an intellectual of great calibre”. A renowned writer, social critic and political analyst, he expressed his views fearlessly.
Teaching is a moral profession. Teachers have moral responsibility to shape the thinking/thoughts of those who they come in contact with. It is possible only if they have the readiness and willingness to think beyond the curriculum. In the twenty-first century, it is important for teachers to discuss cultural, social, political, economic and global issues with their students and ignite their minds. It is their responsibility to enable not only students but also others to become adventurous thinkers.
It is also their responsibility to express their views boldly in public forums on issues that affect various sections of people and engage in critical thinking than can lead to critical action.
The author is an academic, columnist and freelance writer. rayanal@yahoo.co.uk
