Teachers Wanted
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 05, 2014 -

The importance of teachers in the lives of students is such that with the passage of time, students may forget what they have been taught in the class rooms but never what their teachers did for them.

Teachers are the ones who not only give us the light of education, but also teach us how to shape and live our life.

In fact, right from kindergarten to college and beyond, more than our parents, it is our teachers, who bring us up and show the path to our future.

It is in recognition of this valuable service that a day has been set aside in the annual calendar to show respect and gratitude to our teachers.

However, when we talk of the role of teachers in this part of the world, it is sad to know that the line between the noble profession of teaching and business of minting money is becoming increasingly blurred over the last few decades.

Time and again, teachers have been alleged of neglecting their duties. While some of them have been charged with taking keen interest in contract works instead of teaching lessons to the students in class rooms, others have been known for encouraging students to come for home tuition.

In such a situation, splurging the hard earned money of their parents by the students in the name of celebrating Teachers' Day is but natural.

A teacher is supposed to be like a candle which consumes itself to light the path of his/her students and not to expect anything but love and respect from his/her students.

That is why we say 'To Sir/Madam with love' and not 'To sir/Madam with money'.

On the other hand, from all the buzzes that are doing the round, the celebration of Teachers’ Day across the Indian sub-continent this time is going to be a different one.

In an unprecedented manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is going to address and interact with the students on the occasion of Teachers’ Day.

Though this idea may be a direct lift from US President Barak Obama, but that is beside the point here. The address of the Prime Minister of India on the occasion of Teachers’ Day is all set to be telecast live for the students to listen across the country.

As in other parts of the country, all the schools in Manipur have also been instructed to make arrangements for television sets in their respective premises to enable the students to listen to the Prime Minister’s address as well to participate in personal interaction with the Prime Minister through satellite links.

What kind of message that the Prime Minister is going to convey to the students, who are the future pillars of the nation, is yet to be known, but the excitement generated among some schools and students is already becoming so infectious.

However, in the midst of all these buzzes and excitements, it is sad to learn that students in Chakpikarong sub-division of Chandel district will not be celebrating Teachers’ Day this time, for a good reason, of course.

The Directorate of Education (S), Government of Manipur is said to have issued the transfer orders of 30 teachers including 5 from Chakpikarong Government High School and four from Toupokpi Government High School on August 26 last despite the fact that students in these schools are already feeling the heat of shortage of teachers.

What kind of policy is this for the State Education Department to effect transfer of teachers from schools already suffering from shortage of teachers, that too in mid-academic session?

Perhaps, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be in a lost in trying to fathom the idea behind such policy if any of the hand-picked lucky students raise the matter during the interaction with the Prime Minister on Teachers’ Day.