Star Vijay has been hosting a Talk show ‘Neeya Naana’ which addresses social issues and in some cases personal issues as well for quite sometime now.
The show is good for the topics chosen and the manner in which the discussion is steered and summed up.
The show instead of being crammed with statistics and a show of projecting the Anchor draws out what the people really feel about the social issues.
The strength lies in selection of participants, though the Special invitees seem to lack objectivity and their knowledge is shallow when they make sweeping general statements.This could be addressed by the producers of the show.
The latest show on 25 December 2012 on’Teachers and Students– how they perceive each other ‘ has brought out the core problem of the relationship between the Teachers and Students.
On the Teachers side the following points were put forth.
Students look elsewhere in the Class room without paying attention to what is being taught.
They behavior is unruly and distracting.
They refuse to take notes.
They lack manners and self-discipline
The boys use bad words and make obscene comments on lady teachers.
If they are questioned parents come into the picture and question the parents.
Students have the behavior a Customer.
On the Students’ side:
Teachers expect blind obedience.
They do not conduct classes interestingly, nor do they conduct classes in the interactive mode.
Students are pointed out their mistakes in the Class publicly lowering heir self-esteem.
Teachers lack self-discipline and do not prepare for the classes.
The Teachers dictate notes verbatim from standard text Books, which is a waste of time.
Part time students are being questioned uncivilly.
The most important factor ,in my view, is that Teaching profession does not have (mostly) really interested and motivated Teachers who are interested in the Welfare of the Students and seem to attract people who either get into Teaching profession as a stop-gap arrangement till they get a more rewarding job(monetarily) and even those who come ito the profession lack the Character and traits that make a Teacher.
As I have noted in my earlier Blogs, to-day we no longer have teachers who are dedicated and involved,say about 50 years ago.
Teachers under whom I studied did not have fancy qualifications like M.A.,Phd,specialised in teaching.
In fact the Teachers under whom I studied in a small place were just B.A. and in some case B.T.(equivalent to B.Ed of today) or L.T (Licentiate in Teaching).
But they had the personal Character and dedication to the welfare of the students without being aware of it.
My father was a teacher and he used to take tuition with out fees as also my other teachers,saying that to charge fees for teaching is a sin!
Parents never questioned the Teachers for they knew, nay felt, that the Teachers were better in handling their children.
It is the quality of Teachers that is the issue .
Privatization of Education has brought in Consumerism where the parents mind set is’I pay the Fess-it is your job to make my ward proficient’ forgetting that whether they have allowed their wards to choose what they want.
Managements need to increase the number of Students every year to earn profit of the institution.
So the Teachers are forced to runthrough the syllabus without any scope for interaction in the class.
By collecting huge donations Managements admit students with ut quality or aptitude.
Add to this the confusion of Reservation,based not on merits but on Community.
To show results and retain their jobs teachers encourage tuitions to increase income as well.
Another factor is the industry.
The point was made by a professor of New College Chennai, where he stated that the industry(now getting employment alone is the criteria of education), requires not a completely competent professional but one with the basic inputs in the subject to enable the industry to mould the students their way and interests.
This is a serious issue.
Are we going to lead our lives the Corporates want us?
Parents need to reflect on this.
However Teachers must realize that times are changing and the Students of the day are no longer the blank ones or their minds is a tabula rosa.
The students of the day are well informed thanks to technology and internet and what they need is guidance and a spark to get them fired.
As to complaints about students’ behavior excepting the teasing of female Teachers the other behavior is what one would expect of a student and there is nothing different since my days.Students will be students
Parents must realize that not withstanding the technological advancements Teacher can never be replaced and they should not expect the Teacher and education to be a commodity.
I am seeing lots of economically well of youngsters, who are well placed in life .who are academically brilliant , not being able to cope up with Life, for which the Education has not prepared them.
Again formal education has to be complemented with Life facing skills.
Students must know that their freedom does not lie in being obscene and objectionable social behavior for they will be harming themselves.
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