A noble profession

The teaching profession has undergone much transformation over the years. A profession which engendered so much regard and respect in the days gone by has today lost much of its gloss mainly due to the conduct of certain members of the profession. Time was when the village schoolmaster held sway in the community and was a much sought after figure for his counsel.

In the villages he was something of a patriarch and looked upon with reverence and even dispensed justice. His city counterpart was no less revered and treated with deference. They exuded an aura of nobility and their stern exterior evoked awe. They were not only held aloft as strict martinets who brooked no nonsense but also as guides and visionaries who steered the destiny of their charges on the right track.

Sadly this image of our pedagogues have taken a severe beating in the recent past. Instead of being the epitome of discipline and rectitude, some members of the teaching profession have dragged their profession to levels that could only have evoked shock and consternation in the not too distant past.

Instead most have succumbed to the lure of Mammon and compromised the ethics of the teaching profession. Today, the teaching profession has been turned into lucrative industry a far cry from the noble profession it is known to be.

In a special message to mark International Teachers’ Day President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called upon the teaching fraternity not to succumb to commercialism as they are in the vanguard that catalyses a disciplined society.

He said the 200,000 strong community of teachers has a vital role to play in the program of national renaissance following the liberation of the country from terrorism since it is the teachers who bequeath a disciplined and cultured citizenry to the country. “Only a disciplined society could preserve its victories,” the President added.

This is akin to a clarion call to the teachers to get their act together to restore the profession to the pristine status it enjoyed not so long ago.

Here discipline is the operative word as emphasized by the President. To ensure a disciplined society, those who are held aloft as the epitome of discipline and morals should not blot their copy book. Downing tools over pay disputes, boycotting the marking of answer scripts and being arraigned before Court for bribery is not the best example that could be given by a profession of which the public at large looks up to for inspiration and guidance.

Without doubt like all fields of endeavour the teaching profession too was swept by the commercial tide engendered by the market economy that resulted in shedding of values ingrained in the profession, and held sacrosanct in the past. The result is teachers too have been reduced to the level of common trade unionists given to violent agitation - a scenario which would have sent shockwaves among the public in the past.

This is not to say that the teachers don’t have any grievances. The Government teacher is among the lowest paid public servant who undergoes a trying ordeal for little reward. That is why most of them resort to private tuition neglecting their classroom duties.

The recent shocking GCE O/L results was a reflection of this lackadaisical attitude by teachers. They are also required to work in difficult stations away from their homes and families. They too have families to feed and bills to pay. They cannot live on the mere status attached to their profession.

There are still dedicated and committed members of the teaching profession who endure many difficulties and hold aloft the lofty principles of their calling and sacrifice the best part of their lives to mould productive and worthy citizens.

Therefore the Government should take a fresh look at the travails of the teachers and the many shortcomings affecting the teaching profession. Teachers’ salaries should be elevated to a higher plane considering the nature of the profession and its pivotal role in building a disciplined society.

As the President himself said teachers will have to play a crucial role in the context of the new national renaissance following the liberation of the country. Hence this is the ideal time for both sides to come to a mutual understanding and take stock of their obligations.

It is time to start on a clean slate based on this understanding for the good of the country.