Teachers: Celebrated and Imperfect

Recently, I watched the TV series ‘Kota Factory’. Those who have seen it would remember ‘Jeetu Bhaiyas’ of real-life—teachers who went beyond their call of duty to help students.

Teachers hold a special place in our lives. It is difficult to convince my nine-year-old what he should or should not do but things change when his teacher asks him to. Words of a teacher are sanguine and although a child may still not follow it, she would rarely question the intent and authenticity. This bond of trust is sacred. 

Both Ramayana and Mahabharata prominently mention teachers. We remember the role of Dronacharya in the life of Arjuna or the Eklavya’s reverence for him. Karna was so devoted to Parashurama that he would not flinch when a scorpion bit him so that his Guru could sleep.

But these stories tell us that teachers have flaws too. Dronacharya took the thumb of Eklavya, despite not having contributed anything in educating him so that his favourite Arjuna could remain the best. Parashurama became so angry with Karna for not knowing his real caste that he cursed him. Often for Gurus, their students were not more than their egos.

Every year when teachers' day comes, WhatsApp is flooded with remembrances of how teachers transformed lives. While that is true, I also remember how teachers disappointed me by not living up to the high pedestal we placed them in. 

Many teachers were puny men/women full of jealousy and bitterness and class at times became a playground to their inflated egos. They belittled students and often humiliated them in the name of discipline. They were also insecure and poor in handling criticism. 

I remember one such incident of pre-teens when I was arm wrestling with a friend. The instructor who found us banged our heads hard against each other to make an example; I saw stars in the daytime. 

And this is not a generational thing. My son’s first school was a famed missionary-run organisation. Corporal punishment to children as young as four was acceptable and though the Principal never accepted it, we knew she did nothing against it. I have met parents happy with children being ‘disciplined’ by teachers. 

Maybe we have unfair expectations from our teachers. There are bad doctors, there are bad bureaucrats and so there will be bad teachers. Teachers are just a reflection of society. But as parents cannot fail because children place their trust in them, teachers also are measured on similar yardsticks. A teacher can give birth to the future Einstein or Aristotle or kill dreams in classes.

Development Economics tells us that markets often fail in the Education sector. It has a social aspect that cannot be catered to only by creating suitable incentives. More often than not, the best talent never becomes a teacher. Markets work only when there is perfect competition but comparing schools and teachers is difficult. 

Some of the best teachers I found were at IIT Kanpur. IITK used to have a liberal policy with no mandatory attendance and we often attended only those lectures where the instructor was good. Professors there were rarely insecure or concerned about what others were saying.

A professor I have always revered is Prof AK Mallick of the Mechanical Engineering department. Many who attended IIT Kanpur would recognise him from the picture. Apart from his teaching style, most of us remember his ethics and integrity. He was fair and direct and believed that role teaching went beyond completing the course syllabus.

Years later, I had the fortune of meeting him. He still has that zeal and energy and fondly told me how his recent book is dedicated to the memory of his Math teacher, who provided the spark to enjoy Maths as a subject. He also mentioned how he had gone back to his old school after 62 years to talk to the present Maths teacher and the students and tell them about the impact an exceptional motivational teacher makes. Alas, the Headmaster snubbed him and wanted him out. Prof Mallick felt that teachers like those don't come to teach in schools anymore

In memory of his Math teacher, Prof Mallick has written a Math book in Bengali titled ‘Sankhar Galpo’ or  ‘The Story of Numbers’. He does not charge any royalty from the book and wishes the book to reach as many students as possible. I did get it sent to many government libraries. In case someone wishes to do the same, I would be happy to connect them with the publisher and Prof Mallick

Teachers: Celebrated and Imperfect – they remind us that while perfection is unattainable, striving to be worthy of the sacred teacher-student bond is an endeavour worth undertaking.

#Teachers #Education #Teaching #Educator #TeacherAppreciation #TeacherImpact #Learning #Mentorship #StudentTeacherBond #EducationalLeadership Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

PS: He has also written a book on Geometry. Both his books on maths written in Bengali "Songkhyar Golpo (second edition)" and "Jyamiti - school gondir ektu baire" are available in Dasgupta & Co (Pvt) Ltd, College Street (A heritage bookshop estd in 1886). One can email to boiwala.dasgupta@gmail.com or a WhatsApp at 7439442102. The English version of the Geometry book "Geometry - Just beyond school texts" is available in amazon.in

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