 THE TEACHER AND HIS TASK

What is required of a teacher? There can be no single or simple answer to the question. The teacher must, of course, teach which, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means to give instructions and lessons in a subject; but this, surely, is not all that is expected of him.

Consideration of the teacher's role becomes somewhat abstract in the background' of the unpleasant reality that although there is in our country a large army of teachers and a sizable number and variety of institutions for professional training of the teachers, there is no 'profession' of teaching as such indicative of what the teachers stand for and what responsibility the profession professes to own for itself. In spite of more than three decades of independence, the authoritarian control, characteristic of the sad imperial times, still prevails and the teacher is told what he must do and how to do what he must. He is not expected to have a mind of his own and he is only marginally involved, if at all, in decision-making relating to goals, means, administration and organisation of education all of which is done for him by others and done remotely. The teacher is expected merely to obey; teach what he is asked to teach; teach those pupils in the selection of whom he has had little choice; limit his teaching to the books and courses prescribed; train pupils in his charge to pass examinations which are held and evaluated by others and finally be judged and rewarded by standards which have hardly any concern with his professional conscience. His task is more or less mechanical and he must carry out instructions conveyed to him by the grand machinery of education consisting of boards of education, universities, government departments and others. Professional idealism, professional morality, professional conscience, professional standards of behaviour and, in brief, the professional spirit, does not grow in vacuum of professional responsibility and involvement in relevant decision-making relating to education. It would sound cruel but it is not for wrong to say that the teachers constitute only a large labour force for building education as best technicians and mechanics but not builders, designers and architects. This would be evident from the major concerns expressed by our teachers' organisations and associations, which are not unlike those of other labour organisations in respect of manner of expression which is not invariably elegant and dignified as well as of substance of demands which hardly goes beyond the size of the pay packets and personal benefit. It is some times asked: would it matter to education at all, if professional training such as is imparted at present to the various categories of teachers is withdrawn? It would not be pure cynicism to answers that some good money will be saved and education will be spared much unmerited damage that is being done to it by the formality of training required only to meet the regulations governing selection of professional staff. The freedom allowed by the states to the higher echelons of the teaching profession, which are excused formal professional education, has also not been used for cultivation of professional spirit nor for refinement of educational ends and means and attitudes. The im- perative need of the present time in our country is to create conditions necessary for cultivation of refined professional personality and life-style for the teacher worthy of his res- ponsibility and dignity as an inspirer and, to no small extent, as a fashioner of the human destiny. Teacher is too low nor too high in the hierarchy of the profession to be denied the elevating experience.

The image of the teacher varies from time to time, country to country and cultural traditions of different races and seems to be influenced to no small extent by the prevailing conditions and problems of life, vital to the individual and the community. Expec- tations from the teacher differ and even conflict. Sparta, of old, was intolerant of the weaklings who were better left to perish unlamented; only the strong and able were to be made stronger and abler. This attitude contrasts with the distrust of talent expressed by the unimaginative devotees of democracy as well as, on the other extreme, with the contemporary human concern for the mentally and physically handicapped. We still entertain admiration for some of the stern but genuinely goodhearted teachers who believed that education was best imparted through the rod, the neglect of which was equated with unbecoming softness and professional irresponsibility. This picture differs widely from some of the contemporary permissive attitudes which encourage primrose-pathing and even dalliance and suffer anarchical out-bursts and destructive actions of the pupils as legitimate expression of protest against the failings of the ruling generation. Goldsmith gives a romantic picture of his teacher-and father-"who passed rich for forty pounds a year"and left every one wondering "how such a small head could carry all he knew." The picture of the teacher-poor and not very scholarly but nonetheless noble-would bear mention :

"Like some tall cliff that lifts its aweful form, Swells from the vale and midway leaves the storm, Though around his breast the rolling clouds are spread Eternal sun-shine settles on his head."

In our own country, we cherish nostalgically the idyllic picture of the ashrams of our 'rishis' located in secluded forests, "far from the madding crowds ignoble strife," where the teacher and the taught shared, alike, the chores of life as well as lofty philosophy. To live in the ashrams, the wall-less institutions; to live with nature and to sit at the feet of the master and watch him live and work and think was considered to be the best or education.

Behind the seeming differences in the role of the teacher in various societies, some common attitudes are discernible. One such feature relates to the culture of the people which the teacher is expected to communicate to the new generation along with its hopes and fears. In open societies with liberal traditions culture is not forced down the throats of the pupils. The teacher is free to interpret culture and its significance to the contemporary problems of life and to allow criticism by students of its various aspects and im- plications. The pupils are not expected to accept cultural attitudes of the past as a creed but they have to be aware of the ripe thinking of the past generations on problems which have mattered to life of the people and to its happiness. In other societies where the ends of education are confined to the ends of the state, the options for the teacher are restricted and he is expected to be a conformist and to inculcate in the minds of the pupils dogmatic acceptance of political ideologies for theological doctrines advocated by the leadership in power. There are also societies which have recently recovered freedom after long periods of political and cultural domination where there is a kind of ambivalence because of cultural alienation. Unsure of their identity, the people tend to be eclectic and view their problems as outsiders would view them, that is, with little emotion and sense of involvement. It takes time to get over the mental attitudes to which people get accustomed through generations of educational and cultural influences and it requires no small courage to look at things afresh. Even if it means mounting a big effort, it is necessary that the process of self-examination and self-determination which are essential to all cultures, should begin and continue vigorously.

There are teachers and teachers. Socrates crusaded against the sophists of his time who taught the youth to be clever and to learn effective rhetoric to gain popular applause by making the worse appear the better reason. Fagin, a character of Dickens, taught small urchins the fine art of pick-pocketing. We have teachers who teach wrestling, cri-

cket, judo, karate and other sports. We also have teachers who teach music, painting, manual skills, workshop practice, agricultural operations and other arts and crafts necessary for making money and earning a livelihood. But the word 'teacher' does not refer to those who train pupils merely for making a living-not as it is sometimes said for "preparing slaves to a machine or to an office or to a single money-making skill." It is true that a teacher with a vision can give liberal orientation to instruction in any special skill or vocation. The word teacher, however, refers to those who impart education fitted for a free man, free to order his life according to his well-conceived thoughts and philosophy of life, free from whatever social and other pressures which inhibit or compel the mind of man. Epictetus observed, "We must not believe the many who say that free persons only ought to be educated ; but we should rather believe the philosophers who say that the educated only are free". The ancient Indian adage says that is education which is for liberation of the spirit ; liberation from all bondages which come to it by birth and are imposed by custom and by society. Milton viewed "a complete and generous education that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully and magnanimously all offices both private and public of peace and war." Descartes was of the view that "the end of study should be to direct the mind towards enunciation of sound and correct judgements on all matters that come before it." Milton emphasised the moral and Descartes the intellectual aspect of freedom. Education for freedom is inspiration for continuous initiative to growth from within to full and prudent utilisation of all abilities of a person,that is in other- words,to self-realisation Education of a free person lies in his appreciation of his role, relationship and responsibility to the physical and social environment in which he is cast, and at the same time experiencing of the deeper awareness within him that while he is in the world he is not of it. He may find himself caged in a body, impelled by the baffling powers of the mind and circumstanced by time and space; but nevertheless, he is still free, if he chooses to be so to explore his spiritual essence. The teacher is bound by a curricu- lum and he must teach subjects which he is called upon to teach; but most powerful influence of his personality liesir 'the hidden cur- riculum' of his personality and silent message which is exuded by his way of thinking, discipline of mini and refinement of tastes. A man is what he loves and cares for. Says the Bhagwat Geeta, "A true teacher helps a pupil to discover his own personal philosophy or the invisible sun within him." In more poetic language Frost felt that each man should be inspired to find the "little metaphors" or tenta- tively stated truths by which we live. It is no wonder that he in- sisted that only a free born can realise and act upon the assumption that all learning is individual.

A teacher must no doubt teach certain subjects. The purpose is not merely to impart knowledge of the subject and help to train the mind of the pupil in the discipline of thinking characteristic of the subject and to apply what he learns to what he needs. He is expected to relate what he teaches, through processes of formal and non-formal instruction, to the wider objectives of education, viz, cultivation of spirit of independent enquiry and sensitiveness to moral obligations and good tastes. Moral values have bearing on the context or social life and human relationship. Social history is a continuing experiment, often silent and unconscious; but sometimes deliberate and violent, for adjustment between individual and social growth. It happens some times that a society striving for security and survival in the internationally competitive communities and maximisation of economic efficiency tends to exercise strangle-hold on the individual and dwarf his personality. Strange phenomena some times overtake the people-senseless struggle for power leading to wars, oppression of the weak, threats unleashed by piling of nuclear and other weapons of destruction; development of industries in some countries with consequent economic enslavement of the less developed countries; defilement of environment and massacre of forests, these and other fears exercise the minds of the thinking people. The teacher must ever be alert and watch out what may afiect the future of humanity. The future is before him in the class-room ; in the youth under his tutelage. His main concerns would obviously be to strive to cultivate interests and skills necessary for responsible evaluation of the social and human context and abilities to formulate judgements and provide correctives necessary to remove prevailing imbalances with a

view to enabling full freedom for growth both for the individual and the society and to preserve the society from the threatening ills. The teacher should therefore learn to appreciate and evaluate the context of the contemporary social life and the factors that condition it. He should also learn to invite and encourage pupils to contemplate in a detached, dispassionate and objective manner on the social trends of his times and to have visions of life as ideally lives as well as of effective and peaceful methods of social change. In order to be able to perform this function satisfactorily, the teacher has to be well-informed of the currents, and cross-currents, historical and ideological, which influence life. The teacher should cultivate silent, sober, and serene detachment to sense what ails the individual and the society and to read the writing on the wall and to appreciate where humanity is drifting to. The detachment and self-discipline of old and experienced teachers should give them visions of the future ; in Milton's words "Old experience doth attain,

Something like a prophetic strain."

A teacher thus has to be very much more than a well informed being. "A merely wellinformed person is most useless bore on earth", said Whitehead. "I would rather fashion my mind than furnish it", said Montaigne. The mind is fashioned by quiet but vigorous self- examination. "Daily discourse about virtue is the greatest good of men and...... the unexamined life is not worth living", said Socrates. According to Aristotle, "thinking is the occupation of gods from which springs their happiness and ours."

It does not seem fair to the teacher, knowing his social and academic back-ground to pitch his ideal uncomfortably high and not to make allowance for his mundane foibles; nor,, on the other hand, it is comforting to consider the damage done when the teacher falls short of expectations. Butler Act Of 1944 in UK had a nice line written on top: "What our schools are, the race shall be". Even earlier, Martin Luther observed, "We can get along without burgomasters, princes and noblemen, but we can't do without schools for they must rule the world". The determining consideration should not be to suit the ends of education to kind of teachers available for the profession, but how best to inspire and raise the quality of mind and competence of whoso- ever is available wants to be a teacher so that he is able, as best as possible, to live up to the ideals 'expected of the profession. Well- planned effort should be made so that the profession of a teacher becomes for him a calling from within: a source of his unending happi- ness. If the effort is made, there would atleast be a few teachers who would feel inspired by the ideals and what is more important, that awareness of professional conscience will be aroused. It forebodes ill for the people if their teachers fail.

The main expectation of a teacher is that he helps the pupil to free himself from 'for which the English words sorrow or grief hardly bring out the meaning for' 'is said to be caused by attachment, hatred and other baser emotions of men. It is sad to note that the general trend among the talented teachers is to make extra money through large number of private tuitions and among those not so talented to seek favour of political houses and earn places and positions without meriting them. The rest of them gradually lose enthusiasm and become indifferent.

In most of the schools the teacher is in contact with his pupils during the school or college working hours-five or six hours. After these school hours the educational process does not come to a stop nor does the pupil hybernate. In fact more compelling and alluring and indeed more effective processes of education or miseducation-keep operating in the world outside the school. The environment, natural and at home and outside, keeps shaping the mind of the young. There was never any time a choice between 'education' and 'no-education', for to live itself is education. It was said at one time that to live in the Athens of Pericles was the best of education. The choice always is between 'bad' education and 'good' education. At no time in the history of mankind, the forces of com-

munication technology-the films, radio, TV, the newspapers-keep influencing the mind all the time. The hypnotic oratory of deception has been perfected by politicians. The conduct of many of our leaders and functioning of social and political institutions do not go unnoticed by the youth. Blatant corruption and its callous tolerance; low means and shortcuts to power and wealth; the manner in which civic and political institutions are run; the way the government offices and officers function; the devices by which elections are fought and positions of power gained; these and several other factors exercise influence on the youthful minds and they are sometimes reflected and rehearsed in the elections to the college/university unions and the perpetual war against the university authorities. Increasing instances of brutal violence, tardy justice, all too concerned for natural justice to the culprit and totally unconcerned for any justice to the wronged, robbed and slaughtered, seem to make the youth feel that laws are made to defeat justice. These and other factors build in the minds of the youth a moral attitude and encourage permis- siveness. The youth is intelligent enough to realise what deliberate misuse of some otherwise unexceptional concepts-democracy, socialism, liberty of expression, rights of minorities and weaker sections of society, and other similar concepts is made for the benefit of a few and the worst crimes are committed in the name of social and political catchwords. Dostoevsky repeatedly warned against playing irresponsibly with abstract ideas, e.g. democracy, socialism, liberty, equality and so on-because 'ideas have consequences'. There is enough experience of how these good concepts are used and what strange ends they are made to serve. Whithead pointed out that great ideas enter reality in strange disguises and disgusting alliances. Roszak draws attention to the vexing paradoxes of modern industrial and technological age, viz. that intensified progress seems to be bound up with intensified unfreedom and thanks to communication technology, irrationality acquires character of rationality. It is in this back- ground that the teacher is expected to keep himself vigilant and provide models of sobriety and cool observation and thinking. Never before the task of the teacher was more challenging nor was he expect- ed to wage a longer struggle with himself to keep his poise, clarity of vision and sobriety of judgement. This self-discipline on the part of the teacher cannot be taken for granted; he had to be given oppor- tunities for learning to exercise self-discipline to keep him cool in the bewildering phenomenon of life. Neitzche compared an educated person to a tight rope walker; all the drum beating and noises, and the jostling of the crowds around him would not disturb his balance. This virtue cannot be imparted through formal classroom instruction. If the teacher has it, the pupils will hopefully have it.

Tradition is said to bring to teachers respect of the pupil and the society alike; but this tradition has received shocks in recent times and the teachers cannot take respect for granted. He has to earn it in the hard way and to merit it. His scholarship and sincerity of purpose would no doubt command respect; but the teacher is not invariably expected to be bright. Only a few teachers are bright. His real influence lies in what he is and what he makes of himself. The teacher's influence is not confined to what he does during his teaching hours in the classroom; in reality he teaches all the time. He is constantly watched by hundreds of pairs of eyes; the way he walks and talks, studies and prepares his lessons; conducts himself inside and outside the classrooms; the company he keeps; his habits of living, thinking and studying, the way he treats his family and employees and all that he does is watched. The teacher lives in a glass house; he has hardly any private life. He is the observed of all observers and what he does tends unconsciously to be mimicked by the students. The teacher thus provides models-good or bad-of behaviour for his pupils. Mimickry is the silent tribute the pupil pays to his teacher. This imposes on a teacher responsibility which is in some ways unique. Educational literature sometimes refers to 'man-making' as one major concern of teacher education. Whatever may be understood by the term 'man-making' the more important function of teacher education should be to provide environment, inspiration, opportunities and all that is necessary to help the teacher to 'make himself', in other words, to cultivate his personality and to realise the best he is capable of. He has to learn to mould his life-style,