Teachers Deserve Highest Honour

 

October 5 is celebrated as World Teachers' Day and the day has been celebrated every year since 1995. The day is mainly observed to commemorate the contribution of teachers. According to UNESCO, World Teachers' Day is celebrated to recognize the outstanding contribution of teachers to education and development across the globe. This day is celebrated in 100 countries of the world. In fact, the great vow of teaching is the one whose work is called a teacher. Those engaged in teaching work in all kinds of educational institutions including schools, colleges, universities are called teachers. However, those who teach in primary and secondary schools are called teachers and college and university teachers are called professors. But those outside the institution who engage in such informal grand vows are sometimes called Ustads, Gurus, or Shikshaguru. Teachers are called nation builders, because only an ideal teacher can initiate his followers in knowledge, science and justice. A teacher who awakens the humanity of the student not only makes teaching worthwhile, but also accelerates the development of the country. He distributed his knowledge and experience among the students and made them worthy citizens of the country.

A person who has not learned from a teacher or teacher-like guru is very rare in society. Irrespective of profession, a person learns to move forward by seeking knowledge from someone. When a carpenter learns woodworking from someone, that is his master or teacher. Literally educating someone is not the only job of a teacher, it is also the job of a teacher to make them educated and skilled in technical education. So whether a person is self-educated or an institutionalized learned scholar, he must have come in the presence of some teacher or the other. If he is well-educated by home education without being admitted to an institution, his parents or home teacher is his teacher and through him the handiwork of education begins. Even if a person becomes a university teacher or holds the highest position in the state, he is still a lifelong student of his former school or college teacher. This is the great achievement, greatness and success of a teacher.

Teachers are the artisans of making people and the conscience of the nation. The contribution of teachers is no less than that of parents in the development of a student as a real person. Teachers are the main driving force of the nation. In one word, teachers cultivate people and cultivation through which a student enriches his personal and professional life with morals and ethics by developing humanity. Also family-society-state is benefited by it. A wise, visionary teacher can truly play a special role in changing society. An ideal teacher can only pave the way for an ideal society. Knowledge alone can guide man to the right power and liberation. Almighty Allah has given special status and respect to teachers. As a result, in the Muslim society only teachers have special status and respect. Based on divine knowledge and experience, the creator taught mankind the principles of interrelationship between man and nature. He himself highlighted this identity and declared - 'I have been sent as a teacher' (Ibn Majah, 225).

Many may know that the son of the King of Delhi, Alamgir, had poured water on the teacher's feet, and the king called the teacher and scolded him, saying, "You have not taught my son any manners." If he had learned that, he would not have just poured water on your feet; He would also clean the dirt on his feet. But the status of the teacher in the society has not completely blown up or sunk in the water.

That's why, a few days ago, in the case of an influential political leader publicly slapping a head teacher, people from different walks of life have apologized to the teacher and strongly protested against such a despicable act. These are symptoms, symbolically protesting that the teacher's place in society is still held in a dignified place. The main aim of the teacher is to correct the character of the student. There must be natural sympathy for the person to be corrected. This empathy is born out of the desire to do well for the students. There is no point in teaching students if they are not willing to do well. Affectionate is the motive behind such feelings and if there is this desire then no evil can be done in correcting any error.

But at the same time, it is also undeniable, the status of teachers in the society is gradually declining. It would be a purely biased consideration to attribute the wholesale decline of society to the teacher as the cause of society's decline in esteem. Because the teachers themselves are not responsible for this loss of dignity? Teachers are giving more importance to political practices instead of teaching in educational institutions, parties are getting divided into factions. Moreover, the social degradation of the students has taken hold. There is a big difference between the teacher of today and the teacher of the era of King Alamgir of Delhi. Socrates was also a teacher and he is called the teacher of teachers.

A few days ago I saw an excellent educational post on social media about the dignity and respect of teachers. It is said there that former President of India Shankar Dayal Sharma once visited Oman when he was the President. On that day when the Air India plane landed in Oman, three completely extraordinary things happened. The then Sultan of Oman, Qaboos bin Saeed, usually never went to the airport to welcome a dignitary. But on that day, the King of Oman surprised everyone and went to the airport to welcome the President.

When the plane touched the runway, the President did not descend on the stairs, but the King of Oman himself climbed the stairs and welcomed the President from his seat. After getting off the plane, Mr. Sharma saw a well-equipped car standing nearby. Mr. Sharma walked towards the car and then the King of Oman signaled the driver to get into another car, as he himself would drive the President to his residence. After seeing these curious, surprised journalists asked the Sultan, why did he break so many national protocols at the same time? The king smiled softly and replied. I did not go to the airport today to welcome the President of India. I studied in India myself. I learned a lot from that country. Mr. Sharma was my direct teacher when I was studying in Pune. It is only for this reason that I broke so many protocols by being at the airport to welcome him. This is the greatest achievement and dignity of a teacher. A teacher's honor and position is above that of the President.

A teacher is the life of the classroom. The reading process revolves around him, so his responsibilities are many. But the basic responsibility and duty of a teacher is to educate the student in ideal and moral education. A teacher's range of responsibilities is very wide and his role is immense especially in education, culture and social development. He implements the education plan for national development. The influence, prestige and reputation of an ideal teacher does not exist only in the schoolyard. Parents' expectations of a teacher are sky-high and an ideal teacher also delivers his best. The ideal teacher is the ideal artisan of human creation. His vision, guidance and ideals transcend the distinctions of place, time, caste, color, religion and engage in the welfare of humanity. So it is said that a person is meaningless here, but a teacher is respected and honored by all. A teacher's philosophy of education is universal welfare. It cannot be enclosed in a fixed frame. Therefore, the responsibilities of the teacher cannot be restricted to the school level only. He also fulfills multifaceted responsible duties at the level of society and state. That's why his status, dignity and honor is all-pervasive and supreme.

 
Md. Zillur Rahaman is a
banker and a columnist.