By Wapang Longkumer
It is really an unfortunate phase we teachers go through every time during this time of the year after the HSLC results come out,a series of criticisms and blames are showered on us by certain sections of people in various platforms which often looks like a sort of ulterior motive at times. Though many always say teaching is one of the noblest professions yet it is also again a thankless job. Teaching is also one the most stressful and a demanding jobs where a teacher has to give their all. A teacher’s job involves not only teaching the student about book knowledge but also about grooming a good character and overall discipline of the pupil besides moulding them to grow up into responsible citizens. In a year, as prescribed by the norms of our curriculum, we have to maintain a minimum number of working days out of 365. Out of 24 hours in a day/night cycle, normal schooling hours conducted by us is 6-7hours of which the remaining 2/3rd of the time share in the 24 hours period are left under the care of their parents/ guardians which they manage by themselves like domestic work, eat, sleep, recreation and study etc. for the student. In all these, the role of parents and guardians are the most important to utilize and make use of those precious moments. We teachers understand the way and the method of their bringing up in most government schools students over the state. We also try to our level best and put maximum effort in trying to make them shine like polishing a diamond out of a coal. While teachers try every possible way to make them successful, the rest of the effort lies in the pupil’s own sincerity, hard work and responsibility needless to mention I/Q level of the students too. The parents and the guardians’ share of responsibility is also very important in all these different stages throughout his life.
In remote areas around the state many of the students and their parents also have to take the responsibility of their own results. Most of them come only in the later part of February or mid- March for admission even after repeated reminders in Nov-Dec about the admission date. Parents come with several excuses such as no money for admission as they spent whatever they had during Christmas for clothes and for various other needs etc. With the RTE Act in force, whoever comes for admission the teachers have no option but to admit them whatever type of student is in govt. schools. In urban areas, classrooms are overcrowded with nearly triple the prescribed teacher-student ratio due to shortage of high schools. While in rural areas, most of the schools and classrooms are in dilapidated conditions. During the harvesting season too many parents take their children along with them and attendance becomes thin. They justify by saying that education is important but to gather the food to eat throughout the year is also important for their survival. The parents often stressed that they need their childrens’ help during cutting and harvesting etc .No amount of convincing to send their children regularly to school does not work. Also in the rural areas many other activities like hunting, trapping and community fishing keep them occupied more than with books and many parents don’t bother whether their wards are attending the classes or not.
I as a teacher would like to say this on behalf of all my peers that even after the lower classes finished their exams, we continued taking coaching classes for HSLC students till mid-December and again started right after the New Year. It is very disheartening that some writers who are never in this profession but engaged with other occupations should ask themselves what if they leave their present professions and be in our government teachers’ shoes. Though there are so many schools and teachers who encourage private tuitions charging enormous amount, we the govt. teachers understanding the pupils’ plight and sacrifices and so give extra classes and coaching sessions all free of cost till the commencement of the final exams. Despite of non-payment of our salaries for even upto 8-9 months by the government, we still show our patience and meekness as teachers and go on with our work. We start to protest when we don’t have anything to cook in our kitchens. Most of the time the govt. assures us to pay our pending salaries but it is always not more than 2-3 months at a time. We also have need money for our basic necessities and survival like paying our children schools fee, auto fares or put fuel in our cars to go to our work place, house rents, phone bills and electricity bills, buy essential commodities, tithes, acknowledge friends during our relatives’ and friends’ weddings and sickness to countless indescribable needs here but year round we are left high and dry without even our basic regular salaries. We wonder where you people are in such times. If you want to criticize us do stand for us in our hard and struggling times too. Only then you have the right to pinpoint and criticize us. Also about the School Management Committees, they differ from district to district, region to region, community to community; therefore one should take up the issue with them instead of wallowing hurling accusations or imaginary charges. Though some SMC members neglect students’ and teachers plight in districts like Mokokchung, Kohima and urban schools of Dimapur have very strong management committees where teachers and the committees co-ordinate and even have regular Parent Teacher Meetings. These schools have a very good record of high academic performance and HSLC results which one can go and check for themselves instead of generalizing each and every teacher because of some others fault. Disciplining high school students who come from very different style of bringing up and methods is another very demanding and a hard time for every teacher yet we try our best. Many misfits and indisciplined youths fill up the govt. schools and teachers have to go through real hard times teaching and disciplining them. Many a time teachers are threatened and even assaulted when we try to correct them or discipline them. Many children who are not at all interested in studies are forcibly sent to school by parents and no matter how much the teacher tries to let them develop interest in studies, they do not. There is a saying you can bring a horse to water but can never make it drink. Just getting a student admitted into a school never guarantees that they will be hardworking, studious and everyone will pass their exams in flying colours. With the introduction of the Comprehensive Continuous Evaluation (CCE) many students who passed class 8 and come to class 9 have a hard time adjusting to the environment of pass/fail system and high school teachers have to go through tough times making the student get used to a complete new method of curriculum. People have to understand all these before pointing their fingers at us teachers without knowing all the pros and cons teachers have to face in their work situation.
Like the saying goes ‘there is always a light at the end of the tunnel’ though the HSLC results still are poor comparatively to private schools results are getting better year after year in many govt. schools. Many students’ secured good ranks and distinction marks in many govt. schools around the state. It is all due to the teachers’ tireless efforts and sacrifice. Let us look at the brighter side too and be optimistic. Some govt. schools evens secured cent per cent in the HSLC results. I am proud teacher as most of my students passed in flying colours with distinctions. We cannot build a good and a strong society by always being negative and pessimistic. I pray that such criticisms do not rise again the next again when HSLC results which do look like they have something against us govt. teachers for some obvious reasons. On the backdoor /political appointments, what can we say as is this is the world we have created ourselves. Though Nagaland has a huge number of these kinds of appointees, some writers start jumping on the issue of backdoor appointments whenever any issue of about teachers is raised. Why are teachers the only targeted group every time? What about many other departments like PWD, PHE, Medical, Police, Rural Development, Social Welfare etc. to name just a few? Are these departments free of backdoor/ political appointments? On a lighter note as said by young writer lately, “If Nagaland do away with all the backdoor appointments then Nagaland will be overcrowded with unemployed youths and there will be alarming increase in criminal activities. What we have at present is more than enough. Even govt. jobs will land in the hand of immigrants and outsiders”. This may sound a bit off the track but it sure does hold a truth in it. We do not have the requisite infrastructures and opportunities in private sectors and thus maybe the govt. jobs remain the last and the only option. With the system upside down, maybe many deserving candidates went through the backdoor/political appointment and maybe many deserving ones too did not get. Let us all try to build a better Nagaland by teaching the young generation the values of life instead or trying to victimize or slander the teaching community by the mistake of some few. The way we talk, act and what and how we write show more than what people perceive us or more than the degrees or qualifications we possess. Whatever and whoever we are, it is shown by those negatives and pessimistic attitude inside of us when we lose them outside. A true teacher corrects by example rather than always throwing criticism, making sarcastic remarks and negative opinions. Criticizing is very easy and has become the latest trend of all Nagas where sadly many of our educated Nagas, despite their status and profession belittle themselves by their one-sided and biased writings. It will do much good to know both sides of the story before we start gunning others at every possible chance.
