Media going gaga over PM's speech: Why ignoring real issues concerning teachers?

Much is being talked about Prime Minister Modi's scheduled speech to thousands of students at a Delhi auditorium on Teachers' Day. The mainstream media is abuzz over what Modi is going to speak, will the students going to listen to him. But, hardly anyone found worth showing the problems and challenges faced by the teachers to whom this day is dedicated.

So far, discussions are done on improving condition of education, making it student friendly, enhancing its standard but nobody cares about dealing with the problems and concerns of the teachers. Instead of teachers, Modi too has chosen to address the students while the occasion is Teachers Day and not Children's Day. This shows how the teaching profession has so far been ignored by the Government.

Why teachers problems goes unnoticed?

Teachers have been unrecognised professionals and are only remembered on September 5, which is celebrated as Teachers' day, the birth anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, independent India's second president who was a philosophy professor at Madras Presidency College known for his inspirational teaching style.

Teacher's workload is fairly punishing. From taking classes to checking notebooks, handling PTA meetings, conducting cultural and sports activities to preparing report cards, they have multiple duties to perform. Teacher's job is quite stressful and exhaustive. It demands a lot of hardwork and patience. But, when not given the due reward, the gurus who have been given highest position in our society felt humiliated and cheated. On this big day, we have brought some common problems and issues of the teachers.

Teachers get a pittance for pay

Nearly 43% of school teachers in India are now working under privately managed schools. That's about 4.2 million teachers.

Though, the teachers in Government schools get pay scales ranging from Rs 20,000 to Rs 40,000 per month depending on their qualification and experience, most of the private school teachers survive on a pittance. The private school teachers are getting as low as Rs 2,000 per month.

Health issues
Teachers job is not only hardworking but it also creates health problem among the teachers. Ranging from back and neck pain to joint problems and breathing trouble due to chalk dust, teachers brave a lot of diseases to deliver knowledge to students. Not only this, due to long hours of delivering lectures, teachers often face problems of swollen throat, hoarse voice.

Standing for long hours also causes cramps in the leg muscles and knee and ankle pain. Also, lot of noise in classroom also creates problem of headache several times.

Moreover, teachers also undergo a lot of stress, especially due to the behaviour and performance of their students in the class.

Given that Modi believes in skill development and the intellectual development of the students, it could only be achieved with the help of teachers. If teachers are not happy, how could they shape the future of the students. Students are only as good as the teachers are able to shape them. Teachers have to be respected but that does not come about by engaging them for carrying headcounts during census and other programmes.