AS per a news report in the national dailies more than thousand young students from 25 educational institutions were made to stand in the sun for two and a half hours on Thursday to take part in a human chain. It was a political programme at Motijheel collecting students from nearby schools to protest against blockade and shutdowns that are hampering schooling of students and SSC and equivalent exams.
The event was organized in a platform styled ‘Students, Teachers, Guardians and Management Coordination Committee’ in the open air where several students eventually fell sick for standing long hours in the sun. Many students of Class three and four reportedly asked their teachers to let them go while many others took shelter in roadside shops or under the trees. They were not allowed to leave.
It is true that parents do not send their children to schools in recent time fearing their safety because of the prevailing violence. We are all concerned the education is suffering.
But as responsible teachers and guardians they should know if the country’s politics is not a healthy one and leadership is short-sighted nothing can go normal. Time will come when there will be all-devouring crisis for the whole nation. Now should be the time to take account how our immoral and selfish activities have brought to such a pass through blood and destruction.
Just last month garment factory owners forced workers to join a rally in the capital to protest against the ongoing blockade and strikes. They enjoyed special benefits from the government and even now when the economy is terrible distress they are failing to rise above partisan politics. They are expecting the government to pay them gainfully from the people’s money. The habit of exploitation has gone so deep demanding a radical change of the system to make us all think country’s interest first.
But what is disturbing is that young innocent children are being dragged now into dirty political game, next to college and university students; as many of them are now violent and highly destructive. We know that every such political programme takes place on instruction from higher political quarters along with financial incentive to organizers at all level. They may have many other political dividends. But the poor students and such other people have to dance to their tuning — no matter it harms them physically or otherwise.
The insensitivity and indifference of those who are close to the ruling party was further highlighted when speakers at the event took seat under the shade of the tree leaving the students to stand in the sun. Such cruel way of doing politics is what is making our political system totally anti-people, self-seeking and destructive. Here the teachers will not even spare the advantage by exploiting their young students.
The unfortunate truth is most of the teachers are nothing but political workers and they should not have been appointed as teachers if the authorities had interest of education in mind. As teachers they are not be played into the hands of politicians of either side. These are the teachers who are to be blamed for lowering the standard of education as bad teachers.
In the first place, these politically appointed teachers do not have the necessary commitment to the students for educating them and take pride in the academic success of their students. They go on strike refusing to take classes as and when necessary, no matter how long it takes, to force the government to accept their unreasonable demands especially before every election.
We are sure the nation will overcome the present crisis created by the raging greedy few and time will change when things will be reasonable for national interests to prevail and teachers who are anxious to play partisan politics will find no place as teachers. The teachers will be respected as the best well-wishers of the students.
