Guru

Guru, Teacher and the Instructor

"Anda badava kannai mattum vitrunga, bakki thoali urichi thoorap pottutu ,Enakku thakka chollividunga" –please leave the truant's eyes but peel off   his skin and send message to me.

The above expression was a common refrain of any parent of yesteryears in TN. 'The Village School Master' of Oliver Goldsmith was omnipresent. He was revered, feared, admired and loved by the community. The teacher had his students' lives at his heart. His inspectors were his conscience and the local community. The later had very little prospect to intervene as the teacher was always correct in his actions. Without any career guidance degrees, the ilk of Vaidhyanatha Iyers could launch many a Kalams in to the orbit of success. The mind of the student was cultivated through his heart and not vice-versa as is done today. Harmonious development of the mind and the heart transformed the brittle into a strong individual equipped to contribute to the society.

Teacher expectations

'Change' being the only permanent resident of this planet, has brought too many changes in the schooling system too. Universalization of education has taught the untaught the contents of the big head. No more they wonder how the school master could keep so many things in his head. The teacher is just a yet another person like them with a little bit more luck. He is much similar to them but for the employment he commands. Unlike the bygone era teacher he could not stand tall as there are many in his vicinity with more qualifications and knowledge. Poverty teaches man many a lessons like forbearance and compassion. The same contribution should not be expected from prosperity. Today undoubtedly people have prospered materially.   The perennial poverty of the pedagogue is not to be seen today. He spends more on entertainment as others in the society and very less or nothing on books. If one wants to retain his identity and longs for recognition he should not change his stripes. After a total change in his attire, life style and attitude expecting others to remain unchanged is foolhardy.

Society's expectations

The supposed degradation is visible in every walk of our lives. The media brings every day load of unpleasant things happening around us. Invariably, reporting of the wrongs has become the only work of the reporters all over the globe. The society having its faith on a growing security force or gloating over the construction of more jails with more space and ever increasing inmates in them loses its moral strength. Every one thinks his neighbour is an undesirable person but wants the society to be good. When all are bad how the society can be good? For instance corruption is one issue that people think as bad but none is ready to drop the dirt when his turn comes.  

 The contention is expecting the holy quality of a 'guru' from a teacher of today when some mishaps occur is wrong. As others, he too has changed. The only traditional advantage which a teacher has got is the children at his home from whom he learns a lot and he is bound to execute what he expects from others for his children. Only this inbuilt advantage still holds and guides the teacher. But for this unsought gift, he is like any others. Most of them show affiliation to family, community, race, language, region, religion, political affiliation and indulge in all vices the society pretends to hate such as smoking, drinking and et.al . The better word for a teacher of today   would be 'instructor' and this change of nomenclature may dispel the traditional notions about teachers. Can we call their work as 'service', when the major chunk of our financial resources spent on their salaries? He is just a yet another bureaucrat; an honourable member of our own community. A plant blossoming from our own garden and watered by we people. Let us drop the 'holy cow' attitude and start looking at him professionally leaving the traditions into oblivion.

In spite of the hardships mentioned above, the metamorphosis that has gripped us, the Teacher is still supreme due to the very nature of the job he handles. An estimated two crore children attend our schools daily in TN alone. Thousands of children are taken out for picnics or on educational tours every day. But if one mishap occurs involving school children a big hue and cry follows and the whole teaching community comes under the scanner. Are not accidents involving parents occur every day while they transport their children to schools? Are not mishaps occurring when parents take their children out on a picnic? In fact teachers are extremely careful when they handle children. It is their life and duty which they never ignore. Thousands of instances in which teachers play the role of saviors every day are not highlighted as we are fed always by negative reporting and a negative mind set of the people.