News
Sunday, October 06, 2013
‘Call for Teachers’ theme urges educationists to be dutifulBy Shabbir Sarwar
LAHORE: Seminars and other events were orgainsed in city schools and colleges on Saturday to mark the World Teachers Day, as students sent greetings, thanksgiving SMS and emails to their teachers throughout the day.
UNESCO World Teachers’ Day 2013 slogan was “A Call for Teachers” with the aim to focus on quality teachers for global citizenship and cultural diversity during the whole year.
This call urges Pakistani teachers to be dutiful and dedicated.
In Pakistan, the day calls for teachers to think as to why we could not become a respectable nation of the world even after a lapse of 66 years.
Why the nation is unable to counter internal and external threats? Why are students misused by criminals for their vested interests? Why is hate increasing with every passing day in the country?
Teachers are very important because they not only deal with learning outcome but also with the character building. Unfortunately, character building elements and training elements of students is missing in our system of teaching.
With the passage of time teaching methodologies are fast changing in the world. Lecture format, recitation and memorisation are still the most common one, however, classroom presentations, assignments, quizzes, collaborations, learning by teaching are becoming popular methods. Every discipline requires particular teaching method.
Getting high level involvement of students in the class work and ensuring maximum knowledge dissemination has become a challenge for teachers of the universities.
In the semester system the main tool of students’ evaluation is the teacher. Therefore, this system has further increased the responsibility of a teacher. A teacher now also acts as a guide, a judge and also an inspiration for students.
Bad irregular, unprepared and unfocussed teachers have affected our society. They are responsible for decline in the moral values, decline in learning outcome, increase in academy tuition culture and distance between a student and teacher.
This is a trickle down effect. Fake degree holders are becoming legislators. They reach parliament and participate in lawmaking for the nation. Such people must be dealt with iron hand.
Following the central message and theme slogan of ‘A Call for Teachers’ our teachers must rethink their role in society and act accordingly. Politics of student unions and teachers association have spoiled the environment of most public sector educational institutions of the country. Now terrorists are being found in universities. The government must take practical steps to make universities apolitical.
A national policy is needed with special focus on promotion of nationalism among our children and our youth besides nation building and inculcation of moral values in society.
Protest: The Punjab Teachers Union held a protest demonstration against formation of district education authority to “minimise teachers’ role in educational administration”.
The demonstration was arranged outside the Punjab Assembly. Protesting teachers, including female teachers, were holding placards and banners inscribed with various slogans in favour of their demands. They demanded abolition of the district education authority, saying that it consists of union council level politicians who lack vision of educational administration.
Punjab Teachers Union President Sajjad Akbar Kazmi and Secretary Rana Liquat Ali led the demonstration.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk