Education indicators: ‘Teachers have abandoned classrooms’

Minister says teachers are negligent. Teachers say govt ‘expects too much’.

LAHORE:

Minister for Education Rana Mashood on Monday accused teachers’ unions of not rising above personal gains. He was speaking at an event to mark Teacher’s Day.

The accusation came two days after a number of teachers protested in front of the Assembly chambers against a proposed district education authority.

He was addressing an event titled World Teachers Day 2013: A Call for Teachers organised by Idara-i-Taleem-o-Aagahi.

The education minister said it was vital for teachers to understand the nature of their work. He said the teachers had abandoned schools and classrooms.

He said it was necessary for teachers to act as better educators as the country’s education indicators were falling.



He said instead of teaching in classrooms, the teachers were out protesting on roads.

Khan also accused them of private tuitions to exploit students.

“Students have to pay to learn what they should be should be taught in the classrooms,” he said.

He said the teachers who tutored after school were less efficient in classrooms.

He said the government had made strict rules to monitor teachers’ recruitment.

Khan said a more reliable communication link was being developed between the government and the teachers.

Specialist Teachers Union President Rana Atta Muhammad lashed out at the minister, saying it was tragic that teachers were being accused of negligence.

“Teachers have been accused of incompetence. It is not a teacher’s responsibility to work for dengue awareness, polio vaccination and enrolment drives,” he said.

“The minister’s comments are uncalled for,” the union leader said.

Headmaster’s Association President Rashid Ahmad Bhatti too expressed surprise over the minister’s comments.

He said 50,000 students had been enrolled in schools in the recent enrolment drive.

Bhatti said with the establishment of the DEA, local politics was being introduced in the education system.

He said as politicians were being given charge of management, supervision and recruitment of teachers, the education sector risked being politicised.

Private Schools Association representative Ilyas Wali said the government had not recognised teachers’ efforts on World Teacher’s Day, which was celebrated globally on October 5.

IDEAS ILM Research Associate Bisma Khan shared findings of a research study on students’ performance in public and private schools.

Khan said political involvement hampered teachers’ recruitment. She said a teacher’s professional growth was also affected by political interference.

Earlier, educationist Arfa Syeda Zahra said teachers were tasked with the role of shaping minds and societies.

She said it was a teacher’s responsibility to provide a conducive learning environment for students.

“We expect too much of our teachers and our schools.” said Shahid Siddiqui, the head of the Centre for Humanities and Social Sciences at the Lahore School of Economics.

Siddiqui said the role of teachers was not limited to imparting knowledge. He said teachers were also responsible for shaping minds.

He said over the last three decades, teachers had been silenced.

“Education has turned into a commodity and teachers have become salesmen,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2013.