My Voice: Views of our readers 6th September 2020

No one respects teachers anymore

I have been working as a Primary Teacher for over thirty years and this is my first letter to any newspaper, though I try to spare time to read the newspaper as frequently as possible and would like to thank you for your wonderful article "Teachers' Day should regain lost glory" (THI 5 September).

Your observation is right most of the teachers have lost interest in imparting quality teaching. When joined this profession with a dream of making the life of children better which in turn would make them good citizens in future. I am working in a reputed central school where both children of central government employees of different categories and non- government are admitted. They are from different backgrounds therefore the teachers need to have more patience and time to handle such children.

Unfortunately, this doesn't happen as we are constantly under pressure from not only parents but the Principals (who often come on transfer and leave after four or five years), followed by Headmaster/Headmistress and of course the bureaucrats (not those who have managed educational institutions).

Each time this group of people change who are supposed to trust the teachers and their capacity to handle, enforce changes which in turn affects not only our morale or plan. While, one can pardon the management, the Principals, HMs some time or other have been a teacher who often forget but often harass and bully us to do what they think is best.

Many occasions, while on rounds, they will simply enter class and without even observing, will shout in front of children in the Class room on the way we handle class. If this is not enough, just for the sake of earning extra money on holidays the Principals would accept exams (which necessarily not the one conducted by CBSE or other boards) and force the teachers to accept invigilation work etc. Many teachers unable to bear such physical and mental torture have either opted for VRS and quit their well-paying jobs.

If the school head does not respect their own teachers but only focuses on their own future prospects so much that even office staff and Class IV staff do not respect us as teachers. Over the years we have simply functioned like a slave and have become turned robots do as directed as of turning creative. In spite of this scenario, we have not let down our children, though we have no or very little exposure to using technology in the classroom, we are still conducting classes using our own money to buy little things to make online classes lively.

Many people outside may not know we started our online classes from around April and after break in May, we are back to teaching from June. Our personal Mobiles have now choked with Whatsapp groups, PPTs and so on. We are constantly under fear as we don't when our mobile stops working in spite of moving them to another device If Editors like you and others want to teach as "Jeevan Dharma" we appeal for little freedom and respect from all so that the teaching community can bring back the lost glory.

* J Mahalakshmi (name changed on request), Hyderabad

A glorious profession on its last legs

Back in the late 1960s when as a schoolboy, I was eagerly looking forward to the dawn of Teacher's Day every year, the birthday of great stateman, philosopher and former president of India Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. This reminds me my English teacher in class VIII quoting his words very often taken from his speech delivered at Jodhpur University in 1962

"All that is necessary for the youth of the country is selfless dedication which can be achieved only by a self-scrutiny, a self-search and by a capacity to pursue a object with disinterested devotion, sacrificing petty preferences and special interest for achievement for a great goal- - - -".These and other quotes from a range of eminent men from various disciplines and educationists by my English teachers in various classes played a great role in shaping and influencing me in promoting good reading habits.

My class VIII teacher used to say that reading is a necessity and the educated who wish to survive in this competitive world must not avoid it in order to broaden one's mental horizons. After leaving the school, these words constantly ringing in my mind made me religiously cultivate this habit of good, wholesome, fruitful and beneficial reading of various books and reading materials as I grew and continuing even today.

Unlike the past, most modern day teachers hanker upon accumulation of wealth by insisting students to take tuitions after school hours by forgetting the primary aim of education is to teach and inculcate noble traditions, compassion and love in the students in order to help him lead a full life later.

Every culture in the world stresses the special relationship between teacher and student. Guru, the Sanskrit name for teacher, means the remover of darkness. True, parents bring us into the light but it is the teacher who lights up the mind.

Myself and three of my classmates while in school on this special day every year from VI class onwards until completing schooling were religiously on this special day used to visit our teachers at their respective homes and after paying "Pranams" for their significant role in making learning interesting besides giving able guidance offered them as a token of gratitude "A Flower and fruits".

I vividly remember those glorious special days of our visit to their humble homes and their blessings with tears of joy every year without fail. In the present day, it has become a business proposition and many among the teachers serve with selfish motive. On the contrary, service to humanity should be their motto but they been failing to teach the students about our great heritage.

In short, but for the outstanding traits in teachers of the yester-years where the type of education imparted by the selfless and humble teachers not only shaped one's intellect and external behaviour but their work considered as a rich contribution to the nation.

As I remember this day every year without fail and salute wholeheartedly my teachers, many of them no more, for making me to what I am today. Concluding, Teacher's Day is the most appropriate day to recollect the great and yeomen services of ideal teachers who never expected returns but felt proud to have taught and trained many a brilliant mind who have distinguished themselves in various fields.

KR Srinivasan, Secunderabad

We can only pray for better times

"Teachers' Day should regain lost glory" by V Ramu Sarma is an interesting article that highlights past glory of teacher-student relationship and the nobility of teacher's profession itself. Technology has done a lot of good but it also harmed in certain ways. Is it not possible to retain old values while taking benefits of technology?

The Covid pandemic too has affected teacher-student relationship as it harmed other aspects of life. Now it looks the only way out is to resort to collective prayer keeping in mind Tennyson's words: 'More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of'.

J Bhagyalakshmi, Madanapalle

The unending woes of private school teachers in India

Teacher's Day celebration has gone without much pomp and gaiety as the country is still under the grip of Corona pandemic. Teacher's day celebration reminds us once more the significant role of a teacher in making the future of a nation. Many scholars have given different definitions for highlighting the nobility of the teaching profession.

Sarcastically, the teachers who work in unaided schools and colleges are being deprived from those aforesaid privilege.

The plight of private teachers and non- teaching staff in our country is quite pathetic and demeaning. They have been undergoing untold miseries and financial crises since the outbreak of corona pandemic.

Many of them have been found idle. Only a few of them have been employed in online classes. Those teachers are being paid a meagre salary, probably Rs.100 per a period or so on. Very few corporate institutions are paying a considerable amount of salary only to the selected teachers.

The woeful plight of non- teaching staff is being found more deplorable and contemptuous. Many teachers have been terminated. Survival is a matter of concern for all the staff working under private managements .They have a tough time in managing the family since their regular source of income has been stopped. Many of these teachers have been undergoing inexplicable and incomprehensible wretchedness and adversities.

Thousands of those who chose teaching as a passionate profession are unable to move to any other profession due to vanity or self-esteem. Most of them have been undergoing untold psychological trauma and emotional imbalance.

Recently, many welfare programmes have been launched intending the well-being of the employees working in unorganized sectors. Financial assistance has been offered to the people of many other profession. Little is done for the enhancement of the private teaches.

The poor and hapless teachers are standing at the crossroads. They are bewildered. They don't know whether to blame the management or to blame the government. More than 70% of private schools in our country are either small budgets schools or medium budget schools. The managements of these schools depend upon the fees paid by the students to pay the salaries of teachers and non-teaching staff.

Unfortunately, as a result of the COVID outbreak and its consequent lockdown, many parents are reluctant to pay the school fee of their wards. The management of these schools have been found moving heaven and earth to pay the building rent and other administrative expenses.

Under such circumstances, it is quite absurd and incongruous in blaming the schools for not paying salaries during the days of this pandemic. Can the private teachers seek a little respite from either the state governments concerned or the central government ? Regretfully, either the ruling party or the opposition is not taking an interest in this issue.

Prabhakaran Vallath, Vatakara, Kozhikode Dt

CPEC: A corridor to nowhere for Pakistan?

China's ambitious plans for Belt Road Initiative are too fraught with their hegemonic designs and to overpower trade and strategic military positions in the region to their advantage. Their recent incursions in Ladakh are also a broad part of their Machiavellian planning for BRI.

Pakistan which was more than willing to join and to please their Chinese masters has developed cold feet because of it's implications and ramifications in not so distant future.

Imran who has no world view and is guided by Military bosses is trying to look through their prism. With stakes running high with Gawadar port and possibly China with its muscle and money power likely to manifest its strategic interests and Pakistan fears strangulating its position by China's aggressive approach.

CPEC is all about China and nowhere Pakistan is going to gain anything out of this. Pakistan may be besieged with India Hate rhetoric but even Devil does not bite its hand. India is now in overdrive to woo its neighbours with a refreshing approach.

India's cosying up to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Bhutan, and Nepal may thwart China's grand design to corner India by hostile neighbors. India has wisely shunned extreme reaction to Nepal's intransigence and belligerent act of redrawing the map. China wanted India to react aggressively and to create a permanent wedge.

CPEC initiative is going to fail on its own. With India taking up strategic positions in the Ladakh area, China's evil designs may be on a backburner for a while but China is not going to let it go for good without a fight. Like CDS has warned that India should be prepared for two pronged war, though everyone wish it should not happen.

Ashok Goswami, Mumbai

II

China wanted to play proxy war against India so befriended with Pakistan and maintained good relationships with it. In 2015, China announced CPEC ( China Pakistan Economic Border) project, CPEC is the part of its intercontinental Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI). The aim of China is to expand influence in Pakistan and also in Central and South Asia. But some of the CPEC projects are stopped and some of them are on very slow process the major reason behind its reliant governments are not interested in this project.

PM Nawaz Sharif requested Jinping to postpone his protest but the Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party refused the cancel protests. The project suffers from Pakistan corruption too. The Bajwa's family benefited due to CPEC over a period has taken by Pakistan.

The military establishment was not pleased with CPEC helped in Khan to raise his power. They never opposed this project , they thought that CPEC forced Pakistan to improve relations. China is in trouble how to handle it now. The growth of CPEC is major problem and Xi trying to divert situation.

Sanjana Soni, Hyderabad

China and Covid-19 menace

World is under the grip of Covid-19. China is blamed because of keeping facts away from the world at the time of virus attack in Wuhan, China. The virus become a threat to the human kind. Millions of cases, thousands of deaths, collapse of business houses, many lost jobs, poor and poor nations in real danger. The pandemic spread all over the world become of Chinese strong business links.

China, a first on population, third in area, member of UN security council, has failed in its responsibility. Chinese relationship with some neighbouring countries is bitter. It is disrespecting the sovereignty of other countries.

Chinese disputes of land and water is converted into dream of expansion, with aggression and domination by it instead of big brother in Asia. A country can be a true 'Super Power' when its human rights record s crystal clear, respect sovereignty of others nations and duties towards environment.

D Kishan Prasad, Thimmapur, Karimnagar

Keep passport offices open on Saturdays

The Passport appointments issued at Post Office Passport Sewa Kendras (POPSK) and Passport Sewa Kendras (PSK) function only for five days a week from Monday through Fridays. It is thus given to understand that no appointments are allocated on all the Saturdays of the month and on the days of special clearance drives.

As most of the applicants are working professionals, there is now a necessity to make the passport application process available even on Saturdays, which is the weekly off for most of the passport applicants under the Normal Category.

With the increasing demand to obtain Tatkal and Normal category passports, the suggestion will highly benefit the working professionals who otherwise face logistical inconvenience for an appointment on any of the four-day working hours at the Passport offices. The move will also help respective Regional Passport Offices to dispose-off application requests quickly, thereby easing the online appointment availability with shorter wait times.

The Consular, Passports and Visa Division of the Hon'ble Ministry of External Affairs is thus kindly requested to look into arranging a passport application appointment process to at least on the First and Third Saturdays of every month at all POPSKs and PSKs.

The suggestion may be considered in the best interest of working professionals who otherwise enjoy a weekly-off on Saturdays and thus may avail the facility in a hassle-free manner even on Saturdays.

Varun Dambal, Bengaluru

Focus on economy first

Economy should be the foremost concern of the government. Financial stability is the foremost responsibility of the RBI. They have to work together to ensure that economy keeps buzzing and booming even while financial stability is not compromised.

If you push economy to the back benches and bring forward hindutva, citizenship it's completely wrapped priorities completely misplaced priorities.

Priority today is and at any given time for every government should be the economy. Management of pandemic was completely wrongly advised, wrongly guided and wrong decisions.

Vikas Panchareddy, Hyderabad