No School Fees means No Salary for Teachers?

Om Gurubhyo Namah…This is what most of the teachers themselves say when they embark on a journey to create a future. Teachers are akin to a potter who shapes a future product. Of late I see a hue and cry on social media about

1.  Why schools need to conduct online classes?

2.  Why parents should be pay fees?

3.  Why schools or any knowledge centers should collect fees?

Tell me a fact,

 How many of you parents are ready to sacrifice a year of your child saying that let the child spend a year without any studies?

 When teachers are spending hours learning a new method and trying to engage your child why none of the parents have come together as part of your parents teachers council and said – NO its fine we do not want to engage in this and let’s wait for an year ?

 Will you be able to spend and devote your time and engage them fruitfully? Am sure none of us can as a Teacher

A Teacher cannot replace a Parent but I am also equally sure No Parent can be a Teacher all the time. A Teacher uses the carrot and stick method effectively with confidence, patience, understanding, and calm demeanor with the utmost listening ability. As Aristotle said “Those who know, do. Those who understand, Teach”.

In countries like Germany Teachers are regarded with the highest honour and paid accordingly. We should at least give them their dues. It’s a pity that some schools are resorting to cut or not pay their salaries just because the parents have not paid fees.

Yes, these are trying times and we are going through the same but recognize that all these teachers are creating for us a better place to live. Most of them are working through their personal resources at home and trying to teach their beloved students and be in touch with them daily engaging them fruitfully. Before covid Teachers used to work till they were at the school or for some more hours after coming from school as preparations for next day. Post Covid they have entered into the realm of online transfer of knowledge which they themselves are learning. They have taken tremendous efforts to restructure the learning contents, communicate consistently with students, being flexible on many counts in respect of routine discipline and spend enormous amounts of time and energy in subsequent follow ups through digital mode. Classroom Teaching was more of a reactive mode of teaching whereas Online mode is more of Proactive mode of teaching where meticulous planning and execution is required for covering the portions in the requisite time with all students holistically. The job is tougher and this too in substantial cases on personal resources with no support from school managements

Yes, there are job cuts and there are salary cuts in many places, but Teachers too have families to feed. Some of them single parents and earn meagre salaries from schools which they require for susteinance. We parents blame the management of schools for fees rise and costs but are teachers to be blamed for the same? As you are an employee of an organization so are they. What is the difference? We all know that learnings do not happen on an empty stomach so does teaching. The least is to recognize their essential contribution made by teachers during this time. Teachers are responsible for creating environments that foster successful learning and teaching, but this can sap their energy and test their patience. In the current circumstances, teachers are working at pace to develop new learning and teaching environments and managing specific family circumstances. 

As some great said “Great education is a combination of a supporting environment, dedicated teachers and students who take joy in learning”.

LET US NOT STOP THE SPREAD OF JOY.

LET US PAY FEES

AND LET TEACHERS GET THEIR DUES.