By: Ali Hassan Rajpar
Teaching is one of the noble professions. A teacher not only plays an important role in transferring knowledge, skills, information to students but he also plays an important role in a society by providing the young minds with knowledge of the society, social institutions, social conditions and the means and methods of bringing positive change. He instills in his students healthy values, encourages them to adopt critical thinking and identify and solve those elements and practices which become hurdles before healthy social environment. History bears witness that it were teachers who were behind the great revolutions, social change and bringing end to social injustice . They prepared such well aware and brave students who questioned the immoral and oppressive social, political and religious norms, practices, beliefs and culture of the society, , challenged them and succeeded in bringing positive change. These students, who were well prepared by their teachers, served the people and their homeland with passion and zeal and led the people towards better social system of social justice and harmony . Thus in every situation the teachers have remained as role models as well as harbingers of positive role . The examples of Socrates, Aristotle and the Prophet Muhammad are worth mentioning in this regard. All of them challenged the existing oppressive system and prepared the students towards better social change.
When we go back to our history, we find hundreds of such teachers in Sindh who were role models for the students. They earned less salary and monetary benefits in comparison to modern days teachers and professors but their achievements and roles are still praised and appreciated in Sindh. They produced such students who stood against every kind of corruption, whether moral, political or social, and sacrificed their lives so that the people of Sindh should be saved from slavery as well as social, economic and political injustice. They fought against General Ayub, General Zia, General Musharaf as well as corrupt political leaders. They worked to create values of social harmony, peace and religious tolerance Sindh.
The current situation of Sindh is adverse. We teachers are creating such students who are neither having knowledge nor such social norms which should make them aware to play their roles in our Society. Instead of preparing themselves to hold a respectful position in the sworld, they are seen running behind corrupt politicians, peers, waderas and officers. I donot want to blame the teachers for whole of the situation- because the other social institutions have also failed to perform their work- but the situation had been changed had the teachers played their positive roles.
Finally, keeping in view the deplorable condition of our Sindhi society, we should ask a question as to whether our teachers, from primary to university level are playing their roles or not? Are the teachers imparting knowledge to students and preparing them to become good citizens? Are the teachers making the students aware about the social injustice in Sindhi Society, cause of such injustice and ways to cope with such situations? Are they preparing students to survive in the society dominated by landlords, land grabbers, looters, corrupt waderas , politicians, failed democratic system, corruption, nepotism, failed social system? Are they preparing the students to learn such knowledge and skills which should offer them good opportunities in the modern world? Regretfully, answer to these questions is NOT AT ALL… !!!
I myself have received education from more than six topmost institutions of the province of Sindh, have remained in teaching profession for more than fifteen years and have personally witnessed the whole scenario.
To me our teachers have failed to play their role towards the society and different ways:
They have not only failed to provide such academic knowledge, skills and information the students which should make them successful in their career in the modern world but also preparing them to play positive roles in bringing about healthy environment. Previously, the teachers served as role models for the students of Sindh. They were the sources of inspiration and considered to be treasures of knowledge. Teachers themselves participated as well as motivated their students to participate in such healthy activities of self-awareness and social awareness which produced such brains in the society who challenged the oppressing elements of society and guided the people to bring revolution in the society. The students who received education from schools, colleges and universities were well respected in the society due to their information, behavior, thinking and motivation to contribute towards our culture and society. But alas! nowadays, we see dearth of such teachers in our educational institutions. Hence the students produced by these well reputed intuitions are nothing but an army of youngsters having no knowledge, information, target or goal and sense of duties and responsibilities towards the society. The decline started from nineteen seventy but it adverse results have been observed since nineteen eighty five. Presently, the condition has deteriorated to such an extent that our educational institutions have become nothing but factories of paper degrees. These institutions are producing such students who not only do not possess due knowledge about their subjects but also fail to compete against the students of other provinces like Punjab and KPK. I have seen many teachers who complain that they are not being paid such respect by the people as their own teachers were paid but they fail to acknowledge that they themselves are responsible for low respect and status in Sindh Society. To me our teachers have failed to perform their duties due to the following reasons.
1. Most of teachers have adopted teaching profession NOT by CHOICE but by CHANCE, therefore, they are not aware about their roles and duties.
2. Most of the teachers are having degrees from different institutions but they themselves are not aware about the root causes of social injustice and the role of true education in bringing positive social change in the society.
3. Most of the teachers have been recruited on the basis of safarish culture, corrupt practices and ill means thus, being disillusioned ,morally degraded and victim of the social injustices , they themselves have no courage to produce such weapons ( students) who should challenge the demigods of the society.
4. Most of the Teachers are not aware about the tool in their hand – young students and power of knowledge- which can be utilized to revolutionize whole of the society.
5. Most of the teachers are having just degrees without any passion or professional approach.
RESULTS OF SUCH CONDITION
As the teachers are not playing their roles effectively, therefore, such a condition has shown the following deplorable results:
A) A large army of jobless youngsters is roaming about streets. The youngsters are having degrees of M.Sc, M.Phil, Ph.Ds without knowledge and skills and thus not able even to compete the students of Punjab and KPK.
B) The youngers, who have passed their higher education from our institutions are not prepared to survive in the society which is replete with corruption, corrupt practices, nepotism trapped in the hands of nefarious waderas, corrupt politicians … Moreover, these youngsters are not mentally prepared to cope with such situation and utilizing such methods which should arm them with such tricks so that they could be able snatch away their rights.
C) Our youngsters are playing positive roles in ending the corrupt practices and fighting for social justice in the society. Because neither they have been imparted moral courage nor the methods so that they could be able to save the people of Sindh from moral, social and economic slavery by challenging the corrupt waders, politicians, looters well as well bread snatchers from the hands of the poor people of Sindh.
D) Our youngsters are roaming without any direction- They are not having any sense of their duties and responsibilities towards the society and the people of Sindh.
E) Our youngsters are not having such knowledge, skills and information which should offer them good chances of better living in the developed countries.
CONCLUSION
Without blaming the teachers, I am of the view that our teachers should pay attention to
this issue and bring about change in their attitudes, skills, methods and philosophy of education so that knowledgeable, skillful and socially well are students could be created who should perform their positive roles and bring an end to social injustice and exploitative conditions resulting in healthy and happy Sindh.
