Masum Billah :
The recent times, students’ pernicious and dangerous behavior, humiliating and even killing teachers prove the worst form of moral degradation of the entire society. Once again, the question has come into fore whether the education we provide to our students talks about proper and appropriate. Is it enough to produce some administrators, engineers, doctors, teachers and other professionals who will be devoid of morality and inhuman?
One teacher from Mymensingh has given a status in his FB page that goes thus, “Controlling classroom has become difficult and it seems almost like a battlefield. Several students sitting at the front desk listen something but the rest of them continue gossiping and discussing their own stories turning a deaf ear to teacher’s lecture. They remain quiet for one or two minutes after repeated request and go back to their own course again. They don’t pay any heed to teacher’s lecture. They get more involved in chatting and watching mobile phone screens. Students don’t want to come to classes regularly. Though some come, they remain busy in this way showing thumb to the teachers and study.
This is not the case which goes with the teacher of Mymensingh only. It represents the picture of the entire education society. The acting principal Swapan Kumar Biswas of Narail was made to roam around hanging garland of shoes around his neck and this was done at the behest of one of his previous students. Fie! What has happened to the society? Another so-called student killed his teacher Utapal Kumar Sarkar at Haji Yunus Ali School and College at Ashulia. This unruly and rascal student Zitu used to tease the girls that was obstructed by Utpal Kumar and that must be the duty of a teacher. But performing his duty as a teacher he had to sacrifice his life.
If the assessment of our students is really done, their result will be just like the admission test of Dhaka University where we see 90 per cent intending candidates have failed in ‘ Kha’ unit where only eleven thousand 466 students became successful. In ‘Gha’ unit 8. 58 per cent admission seekers could pass and 91.42 per cent could not. My very recent field trip to Khulna, Jashore and Satkhira and talking to the students of grade eight, nine and ten also give the same picture. In one school there are 88 students in class ten who could not answer even a single answer that definitely mirrors the same situation of Dhaka University admission test. The head teacher told me that last year also his hundred percent students passed in board examination. Our students pass in the board examination, obtain grades and we become happy. We never try to understand what our learners are learning. I must say the responsibility goes a greater portion with the practicing teachers and teaching administration.
“I am a teacher; I want a suitable atmosphere in the class. Give me appropriate environment for teaching; I will try my level best to distribute the knowledge of my store among the students.” Another teacher has said this. Now the question is who will give us such kind of environment? Schools are social institutions. The social degradation must touch these institutions.
We all know the situation of our society, students, guardians, politicians and the state affairs of education. We all have duties to build the society and address the problems of the society. We all are more or less responsible for this situation. Nobody will give a teacher a suitable atmosphere. It is the teachers who will have to try to bring congenial atmosphere in the classroom, in the educational institutions and it will contribute to establishing a sound situation in the society.
We cannot deny that in this rotten society (?) We see our students offer us salam, even they touch our feet to show honour that does not happen in many countries of the world. We must work for changing the current situation of the society. Maybe, we cannot address all the problems but I can do a lot in my classroom whatever might be its status, the number of students, their nature and behavour. That we must do as we cannot afford to leave the profession. Leaving the profession of teaching just to avoid the ills of this sector does not invite its solution.
(Masum Billah is Country Director, Volunteers Association for Bangladeshi and President, English Teachers’ Association of Bangladesh).
