The article “Teachers in the dock” (Open Page, April 24) has aptly brought out the plight of present day teachers. With education commercialised, teachers have become passive spectators. They do not question the misbehaviour of students for fear of losing their respect and job. The loss of respect for teachers has led to the deterioration of student behaviour.
T.R. Maragatham,
Chennai
Gone are the days when people took to teaching out of their love for it. Nowadays, it is the last resort of job-seekers and, as a result, it is the student community that suffers. Teachers fail to identify the needs of children. Parent-teacher meetings yield nothing. Both teaching and learning have hit the lowest levels in schools.
Sakina Salihu,
Erode
The government has a pivotal role in keeping the spirit of passionate teachers afloat. It should adopt strict measures to prevent parents from approaching human rights commissions for actions taken by teachers in classrooms. As for parents, they should impress upon their wards the importance of teachers. Including ethics in the curriculum will help in changing the consumer-is-king attitude among students and parents.
A. Babu Karuppiah,
Madurai
It would be no exaggeration to say that teachers are under great pressure because they are answerable to parents as well as the school management. In many instances, teachers are cowed down during parent-teacher meetings. For many, the emolument is a dampener. Our present education system is shaping the minds of students to climb the success of ladder, not imparting the values of life. This drives parents to expect miracles from teachers.
Radhika Kannan,
Karaikudi
Parents are highly educated and think teachers are inadequate and unworthy. Most teachers hail from a modest background. They travel by bus or walk to schools, while parents drive their children to school in posh cars. This is the underlying malady. Schools must pay teachers well and employ qualified teachers with good social background. That will remove the suspicion prevailing among parents.
B.R. Kumar,
Chennai
While I have the greatest respect for teachers, I write with the great disappointment that they are no longer acharyas in the real sense. I agree with each and every point raised in the article about demanding parents and children. But it is also true that people take to teaching more for money than passion. Present day teachers have neither the commitment nor the capacity to mould their students into responsible citizens. Educational institutions fleece parents in the name of providing world class education.
A. Bhuvana Bhimaiah
Bangalore
