DANISH ASHRAF KHAN, BATHNOOR TRAL
Writer / Teacher / Public Servent
Today, I want to talk about our teachers, particularly the teachers who are currently working under the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. We all know that education is the most important part of building the future of our children. But when we look at the present situation in many government schools, there are some serious issues which we cannot ignore anymore.
For the last many years, we have seen that teacher recruitment is not happening regularly according to the actual requirement of the schools. As a result, many government schools are working with fewer teachers. The burden is going directly on the teachers who are already working, and ultimately the students are the ones who suffer.
I personally visited a nearby government school around two years ago, and when I asked about the teaching arrangements, I came to know that one teacher was teaching three different subjects. The thing that surprised me was that the teacher did not have a proper background in all those subjects. I am not blaming that teacher because he may be doing his best with the situation he has been given. But we have to ask ourselves, how can we expect one teacher to be an expert in three or four different subjects?
When we were students, we were taught by teachers who had knowledge and expertise in particular subjects. A teacher who studied English would teach English, a mathematics teacher would teach mathematics, and a science teacher would teach science. Expertise and experience matter. If someone can teach seven subjects, it does not mean that the person is an expert in all seven subjects.
The word “general teacher” should not mean that one person can be expected to handle everything. A teacher may be capable of teaching different subjects, but every subject requires proper knowledge and understanding. Our children deserve teachers who have expertise in the subjects they are teaching.
The second and very important issue is the deployment of teachers for non-teaching duties. Today, government teachers are being deployed for Census and SIR related duties. These exercises may be important for the government, but we also have to think about what is happening to the children when their teachers are taken away from the classrooms.
I have personally witnessed situations where schools are already working with very limited staff. Imagine a school where only two teachers are working and they have to manage nine classes. If one teacher is sent for Census or another administrative duty, what will happen to the remaining teacher? How can one teacher manage nine classes? How can that teacher teach properly, give attention to every student, check their work and complete all the responsibilities of the school?
This is not an issue against our teachers. In fact, I believe our teachers are already doing a lot. The question is why teachers are being given responsibilities which are not directly related to teaching when schools are already facing a shortage of teachers.
The government should think about other options for such exercises. Agencies can be engaged where required, or other departments can be utilised for administrative duties. Wherever appropriate, there are other government departments and personnel who can assist with such work. Teachers should be kept in classrooms because their primary responsibility is to educate our children.
Our children are already losing valuable classroom time. If a teacher is continuously away from school because of administrative duties, the loss is not only of one day or one lesson. It can affect the learning of an entire class.
At the same time, we also have thousands of educated and qualified young people in Jammu and Kashmir who are looking for employment. Many of them have completed B.Ed, Master’s degrees and even PhDs. They have studied, they are qualified and they are waiting for an opportunity to serve. If schools require more teachers, why can we not create proper recruitment opportunities for these educated young people?
I am not saying that examinations for teacher recruitment are not important. Of course, the government has to maintain standards and select eligible candidates. But recruitment should also happen according to the actual requirement of schools. If there are vacancies and schools need teachers, then those vacancies should be filled.
We should also understand that this issue is not only about teachers. It is about our children. Whether a child studies in a government school or a private school, that child has the same right to receive proper education. Government-school students should not suffer because there are not enough teachers available in their schools.
I have spoken many times about private teachers and their struggles, because I believe their problems also need to be discussed. But today I want to raise the issue of government-school teachers and, more importantly, the students who depend on them. We cannot ignore the problems inside government schools simply because they are government institutions.
Our teachers should be in classrooms. They should be teaching, guiding and preparing our children for the future. Administrative duties can be assigned through other suitable arrangements, but the classroom should not be left without its teacher.
The government needs to seriously look at teacher recruitment, teacher shortages, subject-wise expertise and the unnecessary deployment of teachers for long administrative duties. If we really want to improve education in Jammu and Kashmir, we have to start by making sure that every school has enough teachers and every child gets the attention they deserve.
Our children’s future cannot be compromised. We have to decide what is more important: completing an administrative exercise through teachers, or ensuring that thousands of children do not lose their valuable classroom time.
Teachers should be allowed to teach, and our children should be allowed to learn.
