Relationship of Parents, Teachers and Students: Past and Present

Omila Thounaojam *

Students participating in the 4th district level Mathematics competition in September 02 2012 :: Pix - Hueiyen News Service

Is it only me who feels it or is there anybody else who gets a panic attack looking at the mad mad world? It's crazy and drilling in its effects. What is happening? Who is held to be responsible? Do we really need a school in the first place? Don't you see that somebody so young is grilled in the name of education? What about those who can't afford the luxury of the best schools and best tuition gurus?

Oops, did I mention a forbidden topic, if yes then hear me out and excuse for spilling certain truths out in the open. There is always a huge traffic jam on the roads of Manipur early in the morning and in the late evenings where parents are juggling between one tuition center to the other and the children are supposedly thought to be the ultimate benefactors. The whole exercise is very interesting if one pays a closer attention to the structure of the mechanism.

Five thousand for a three month course in physics, mathematics and other subjects, but what is most crucial here is the way the price of the course determines the level of quality of the tutor. I don't intend to say that the tutors are not up to the mark, but sometimes the system leads up to a whole new misleading system or trends.

We can't blame the teachers who have emerged successful in establishing a reputation through his or her hard work and extensive study. We can't either blame the parents who are so enthusiastic in providing the best inputs from their parts in sharpening their children's academic performances. We can't as well claim that it is the students' fault either in circling their lives in and around tuition houses from morning till late evening, not to forget the time they need to spend on class rooms in schools. The pattern is awesome isn't it and so rich in its constitutions.

Struggling so hard to be attentive in all the courses she or he attends in many learning places, when it comes to listening to classes and the lectures, many falls asleep. When asked about what is their problem, one frankly answers, "Sir, I'm not getting enough sleep owing to the tuitions I go to right from early morning �." Now what will the class teacher do under such a circumstance � is he supposed to punish or let the student sleep during his class?

Looking at such a minor, but real incident, one can clearly witness a truth that's occurring today. Look back in time and remember that one face of that teacher who taught you many subjects for many years. You'll have a nostalgic sense of how precious those days were when a teacher is multi-talented and were not so much drawn by commercialized calls. Look back in time and remember the way children had time to go to school, come back, have their afternoon school meals, freshen up and then go for a fun-filled evening time play with friends in the locality and then come back and study with either the father or an aunt or �.

Now let's ask the question, who created this commercialized culture in the name of edu-centric concerns? Are the parents responsible or, the teachers? Are the children having a normal life? Many may say that the education today is very standardized and competition today is high and tough. But let me point out, how much is the youth today be considered genuinely brilliant.

More than eighty percent of them go to at least three tuitions a day in addition to the classes they attend in school, but how many of them exactly are producing the most expected and hyped result when the final results are out. Can we say that all fares well and brilliant or only few of them come out with the best outputs? Or is there a guarantee that only those who could afford expensive and expansive tuitions make a breaking record with their performances? This topic is huge and extensive; I agree nonetheless it is something that we must have a serious look at.

There's an obvious vicious circle that's involved in the entire process. In the name of a greater future and career of their precious children, parents are blinded, I must say. The height is so much that teachers just mention the topic of a chapter in the class and leave it as it is, because they take it for granted that the tuition will take care of it.

The students are least interested in class room discussion (if it ever takes place) because they have a secured back-up bought at high prices by their parents. The parents again spend an enormous amount of time, attention on top of their monetary investments and are the best drivers delivering their children right on time at the doorsteps of the coaching centers.

Timely pick-up and timely dropping their children seem to be the new tag line for defining best parents in today's scenario. No one bothers whether parents and children have time for a family talk and some fooling around as it used to happen in olden days that are healthy signs of a closer bond between social units like a family.

Nowadays, a mother hardly sees her daughter's face or a father hardly does his fatherly talk to his son all because all of them are so career centric. Don't you see the pattern here? There is no time for bonding and that's why attachment and respect for a social life is almost reduced to a cult.

Worsening the situation here is another dimension to the whole scenario. Parents get-togethers that happen on a daily basis at the coaching centers have led to the emergence of a morally decaying trend in which it lays a perfect setting for flirting clubs to grow.

Haven't you heard of elopement trends that have risen recently and the root of his new situation is the frequent meets of fathers and mothers and the abnormal growths in their attachments? Parents shun from their core responsibility to make time out for their children to socialize and they resort to tuition houses as a comfortable and safe location to do away with their parental tasks.

Same happens when the children are least comfortable in spending some quality time with their elders from a very young age and they ask for tuitions. Who are to be blamed again here? Can you tell me?

I must mention one more facet before I wind up my today's write. It has to do with those who are left out of the whole picture. I'm talking here about those who are poor and could not afford to be part of the whole new emerging trend.

What do you think they must be feeling when they could not even be a part of those rich parents who can at least stand in long lines for a rare visit of the most expensive and popular gyan guru?

Don't you think that they also must be so heavily tempted to do their part by being a part of this whole scenario? Don't you consider this impulsive situation driving them to go for earning easy (black) money if they could to provide the so-considered best facilities for their children?

May be the ticket to an updated modern life is very expensive, but this ticket that is a part of this new parents, teachers and students' relationship today is a hub of many systems on stake. Let's see what comes out of it.