Teacher and students.

Article for the Souvenir of The Poorva Vidhyarthi Sanghatana of the Government College, Kottayam. February 2006

Teacher and students.

Prof.Joseph K. Alexander

First Principal of the Kottayam

Government College. Nattakam.

Education of a child starts in the womb of the mother.” When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby moved within her.”Bible. Luke.1: 41.Babes in womb hear what goes outside.  So the mother, father and near relatives who frequent the mother, in that order of priority, are the first type of teachers. When the student start going into the brick and mortar schools and colleges, we have teachers in the formal meaning of that term. The primary and the university level teachers are of two different types in their role and relation to the students.

The role of the parents, near relatives, priests, elders and wise men of a society is to pass on their knowledge and skills to the child. This is to induct the young into ways of feeling, thinking, believing and acting in the way that society does. This is to make the child to conform to that social pattern and to make the young a regular member of that society. The role of the primary teacher is a continuation of this along with the inculcation of the three r s.

In both these categories of primary teachers, the teacher is not only a disciplinarian, but also a confidant of the student. The child must feel free to confide all his thinking, feelings and opinions to the parent / teacher, to get it corrected and to conform to the ethical standards of that society. Here the teacher is a surrogate of the parents and elders. So even punishing an erring pupil is well within his duty and will be appreciated by the child, if not then, later in reflective moods. He may even venerate such character moulders.

The relation of the University teacher on the other hand is different. In the university and colleges the teacher induce in the student new political and economic ideas and thoughts necessary for social change and development Though he is merely expected to argue out both sides of the controversial issues to make his pupil to form his opinion, the teacher himself in the process may take a definite position of left or right. So he may endanger himself to be favored or not, by the political grouping in power with all its consequences. The teacher and the student may come thus to hold even differing views on controversial issues.

While at the school, the relation of the teacher to the student is that of a substitute to parent - intimate, caring, and concerned- at the university level the relation is more of a counselor or guide. It is not paternal. It is that of an intimate and caring friend. There also, student must have enough freedom and intimacy to rub shoulders with his teacher to equip and prune him to excel others in the society. In the school the teacher tries to make him conform to the society, in the University he helps him to articulate and communicate his own ideas effectively and to compete and excel others. He-the future citizen-has to project his own individuality to have a niche for himself.

The present day professional teachers of school or university are a recent species in the history of education. With the onslaught of professionalism, the missionary zeal of the erstwhile teacher has disappeared except in a minority of teachers. The unionized modern teacher perhaps may fail to create intimacy / rapport with his students. For them, he may appear to be too self-centered or group oriented. So the old world gurukulam type ideal teacher student relationship is now a myth. Exceptions only prove the rule.

To conclude, a teacher whether of the school; or college, should be an intimate friend of the pupil and capable of guiding his ward. This warrants real love for the profession, and his students. The university teacher must also have the ability to rise to the ideal standards, his teen aged ward expect him to be. He must be sincere, honest, hardworking, informative, helpful problem-solver and concerned about his wards. If he has these qualities and can convey to his students that he has these abilities, they will consider him as their role model, think tank and moulder of their individualities. This is what a student expects from his university teacher. Indeed a real challenging profession.

I am aware that there are several other aspects of the relation between the teacher and the student that warrant further scrutiny. This is only one aspect of that relation. Others can be examined later or by others who are involved in working out these relations for the benefit of themselves and the society.

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