Remembering Radhakrishnan: Are we teachers teaching ??

Rajendra Kshetri *

Picture of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan at the Teacher's Day Celebration on Sep 05 2009

September 5 is the Birthday of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (1888-1975) who is known and remembered more as a Philosopher-teacher than as the Second (1962-67) President of Republic of India. There are stories of how he, during his foreign visits, as Vice-President and President of India, was accorded warm welcome as a renowned Philosopher-teacher. This day every year is being observed and celebrated as "Teachers' day" as a mark of respect in remembrance/ deference of his love and passion for teaching and teaching Profession.

Radhakrishnan never wanted to celebrate his birthday as 'Teachers' day", least of all as a public event. But when some of his close friends and associates insisted to celebrate for something/some cause he loves, believes in and passionate about, he was reported to have expressed to dedicate to teachers of the Country. Since 1962, his birthday is being observed/ celebrated as Teachers' day is India.

There is no gain saying the fact that teachers play a pivotal role in the development of a Society/Country. It is teachers who produce technocrats, and administrators and shaped/ moved/inspire the young minds. Teachers are held in high esteem and accorded the highest respect in developed countries. The social status given to/ enjoyed by teachers is generally considered as an indicator of "development".

One cannot however say in the same breath about the role, position and status of teachers in the "Third World" countries, particularly in India. Gone are the days when India had produced some of the finest teachers. Radhakrishnan, regarded as one of India's most distinguished twentieth-century scholars, is one such teacher. He was incidentally the first Indian to teach at Oxford University.

Today, seven decades down the line, independent India's standing in the international community of teachers is very low. It is very sad and indeed a very poor commentary on the part of teaching community in the country that India has not been able to live upto its ability of producing good/ quality, let alone excellent, teachers.

On one hand, the numbers of teachers/ quantity in the educational institutions keeps on increasing. There are today hundreds of thousands of teachers in the schools, colleges, and universities. On the other hand, number of good/ quality teachers are found terribly wanting. It is indicative of the lack of quality/ inspiring teachers in the country that no Indian University could figure anywhere near the top hundreds of the world.

What is the reason? What could be the reason(s)?? Have teachers failed to discharge their roles and duties? Have they failed to motivate/ provoke/ inspire the students- the young minds? Have teachers failed to open new vistas to look/ understand/ appreciate/ examine the emerging socio-economic realities and political phenomena taking place in the country?

Are teachers not able to inculcate a sense of curiosity to students in the classrooms? Are teachers not creating enough creativity? Are they not able to train young minds for creative/ critical thinking? Are teachers underpaid in the country? Are teachers teaching?

What kind of teacher(s) do we need then who can inspire, motivate the students/ young minds who are, to use an often-used cliche, the future pillars of the country. What kind/ type of teachers do we have in the country/ state today. There are indeed several kinds of teachers, say for instance, 'teaching-teachers'; 'non-teaching-teachers'; 'administrative-teachers'; 'managerial teachers'; 'syllabus and/or subject-centric teachers'; etc. in our country/ state.

Broadly speaking, I would categorise two kinds of teachers- 'Teachers-by-accident' and 'Teachers-by-choice'. By 'Teachers-by-accident', I mean those who have not succeeded in other professions and who thought and believed that teaching profession is the easy way out and less difficult.

These categories of teachers are the ones who have no commitment, dedication, and passion for teaching and are least interested in the art/ field of teaching. You will find/ see them in the institutions' premise, but not in the classrooms/ labs. They will be seen loitering around the administrative block, cosying up to the powers-that-be.

By 'Teachers-by-choice', what I do mean are those who have pre-decided to choose this noble profession as life's 'calling', and are therefore committed, dedicated and devoted to the field of teaching. This category of teachers have passion for teaching and therefore very adept in the art of teaching.

The tragedy in our country/ state is that majority of teachers, whether in schools, colleges or universities, could be said to have belonged to the first category. This may be one of the most important reasons why Indian colleges/ Universities are not able to come up to the international standard. Radhakrishnan's birthday which falls on September fifth every year brings back memories of my school days.

I have had the opportunity and been fortunate enough to have been taught by some of the best and inspiring teachers. I still remember how terribly bad I was in Hindi (a compulsory subject up to class eight), nor able to get double-digit marks in all the examinations. My poor performance in Hindi continued till a certain teacher appeared on the scene.

Oja Chaoba, a newly appointed Hindi teacher and a very good story- teller, brought a sea-change on my Hindi performance. He somehow inspired me and I was inspired. In the very same school there was another teacher who was in charge of teaching literature (Manipuri as Major Indian Language).

It was first quarter of the Sixties when I started attending my high school classes. The teacher, in one of his classes, was telling us about Nobel Prize in Literature (1954) being awarded to Ernest Hemingway for his "The Old Man and the Sea". Obviously, we all had no idea about Hemingway and naturally what he said then about the novel was nothing sort of a gospel truth for us.

The novel, he said, was not worth getting the prize as the story depicted was merely a simple ordinary story of an old man going out to the sea for angling. It was not until my graduation days when I chanced upon the novel and read, re-read that I realized how terribly mistaken and wrong the teacher was and how we students had been misled and mis-taught. I had to undergo a process of unlearning what had been learnt during my formative school days.

The two episodes I mentioned is just to drive home the point how crucially important the role of a teacher in shaping/ moulding the young minds. It is easy to be a teacher. But it is far from easy to be a Teacher who inspires, motivates, widens mental horizon and opens the door to the outside world.

Professor Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, the first Vice-President who later became President was a Philosopher-King of Plato's dreams. He was first and last a teacher who inspired thousands of young minds the world over. "Teachers", he believed, "should be the best minds in the country".

My fellow teachers, are we inspiring the young minds? Are we motivating the students? Are we widening mental horizon of students? Are we opening new vistas for the young minds to imagine, visualise? Are we Teachers Teaching???