Teachers in our country lack basic teaching skills, not to mention the complete lack of empathy
KARACHI: There is no question that countries who have established themselves as the epitome of development and economic success have done so by investing time, money and energy in the pursuit of a better educational system. Universities in Pakistan, however, seem to have incompetence as an essential skill requirement if you’re looking for a job as a teacher.
In other words, if you are a miserable graduate with a below average academic record and no future in your own profession, there’s always the option of applying for a teaching job at various universities across the country. How else can you get back at the system when you’re ensuring other young professionals suffer the same fate? The majority of the faculty members in our universities are, for the most part, not only unprofessional but some are actual undergraduates who have ventured into the field of teaching only to earn a quick buck.
Teachers in our country lack basic teaching skills, not to mention the complete lack of empathy, emotional intelligence, ability to inspire and communicate as well as the capability of motivating and leading students into a better future. Then again, they too were molded by the same system — a system that gives more importance to memorising books rather than grasping concepts; where misogyny and patriarchy creeps the hallways and corridors; and where students’ GPA depend highly on what you wear and the financial status you belong to. Yes, no matter how absurd this sounds, our educational institutions have an undocumented history to facilitate, reward and glorify only those students that look intelligent.
Time and again students have faced extreme adjudication for having a life outside of their classrooms and on being seen socialising with the opposite gender. However, the sad reality is that students have no chance of survival in the professional world if they don’t receive a high GPA.
Mateen Alavi
Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2020.
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