Can we be humanE?
After a long hiatus I return. I had vowed to myself that I would merely gloss over the newspaper to avoid the anger and depression that well in me on reading in detail!
Yet I couldn't help reading 2 articles relating to the CALLOUSNESS of the teachers concerned.
Article 1:
In Srinagar a young boy of 17/18 years committed suicide. Reason? he had failed in his favourite subject. On revaluation it was found that he had actually topped the class. Yes the boy should not have taken this path. He should have /could have... But then is it also not the responsibility of the evaluator? Should not the evaluating teacher be concerned and cautious of the papers he or she is evaluating. If we know someone is failing can we not take a few moments to cross check if we have missed out/ evaluated properly/ check if we can give some grace marks??? Cannot we teachers be more humane while correcting papers/tests? If the student has not attempted answers or has done it very badly then it is understandable.
While evaluating even a class test if I come across a student has not got pass marks, I have always gone back to check if I have been fair in my marking. By failing the student, and in this case very cruelly wrong, the teacher is responsible or a factor for the driving the student to death. As teachers is it also not our duty to empower students on accepting failures?
In one of the private schools that I have worked I have seen the sadistic nature of teachers where they take pride in their 'strict evaluation' - Teachers take pride in giving less marks. Some even take out their angst on students while correcting. And these same teachers keep driving home the fact that a student cannot afford to fail. The concept of failure is so shameful in our culture. So what would a student do if he or she fails? Take the worst step.. what else..
Articel 2:
In a government school in Madurai a teacher of Class 2 ( 6 yea olds) forces a dalit child to pick up excreta of a classmate. Because he is a dalit he is asked to clean up. For all my international friends, in India we have a system called the caste system. The system is not to be followed as per our Constitution. In reality it is followed and the people belonging to the lowest social strata are the dalits. They are still considered untouchable in many parts of India.
Bile rose in my throat on reading about this cruel act. If teachers behave so how will the community improve.
The bane of our culture is such teachers- who are narrow minded, judgmental and unfair. If we educators are like this there is no hope...
Yet I couldn't help reading 2 articles relating to the CALLOUSNESS of the teachers concerned.
Article 1:
In Srinagar a young boy of 17/18 years committed suicide. Reason? he had failed in his favourite subject. On revaluation it was found that he had actually topped the class. Yes the boy should not have taken this path. He should have /could have... But then is it also not the responsibility of the evaluator? Should not the evaluating teacher be concerned and cautious of the papers he or she is evaluating. If we know someone is failing can we not take a few moments to cross check if we have missed out/ evaluated properly/ check if we can give some grace marks??? Cannot we teachers be more humane while correcting papers/tests? If the student has not attempted answers or has done it very badly then it is understandable.
While evaluating even a class test if I come across a student has not got pass marks, I have always gone back to check if I have been fair in my marking. By failing the student, and in this case very cruelly wrong, the teacher is responsible or a factor for the driving the student to death. As teachers is it also not our duty to empower students on accepting failures?
In one of the private schools that I have worked I have seen the sadistic nature of teachers where they take pride in their 'strict evaluation' - Teachers take pride in giving less marks. Some even take out their angst on students while correcting. And these same teachers keep driving home the fact that a student cannot afford to fail. The concept of failure is so shameful in our culture. So what would a student do if he or she fails? Take the worst step.. what else..
Articel 2:
In a government school in Madurai a teacher of Class 2 ( 6 yea olds) forces a dalit child to pick up excreta of a classmate. Because he is a dalit he is asked to clean up. For all my international friends, in India we have a system called the caste system. The system is not to be followed as per our Constitution. In reality it is followed and the people belonging to the lowest social strata are the dalits. They are still considered untouchable in many parts of India.
Bile rose in my throat on reading about this cruel act. If teachers behave so how will the community improve.
The bane of our culture is such teachers- who are narrow minded, judgmental and unfair. If we educators are like this there is no hope...
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