The comfortably overlooked heroes

Here’s sparing one moment of thought for the consistently overlooked working community – the teachers. COVID has slapped our priorities straight and redefined the very idea of who we call heroes in the world we live in. As to who deserves to be truly rewarded with material returns and immaterial regard has also been redefined. But there’s one community that has gone through just as much obligatory, drastic and overwhelming changes – but with much less regard.

It’s a wretched thing that disobeying, bullying, mimicking or even mocking teachers has been deemed ‘funny’ or ‘cool’ by most entertaining content circulated both on mainstream and internet media. The aspect just catapulted to unbearable extremes when teachers were forced to shift to online mode of teaching with the pandemic. The student centric education system is not an easy job for the teaching community in the first place, but with the online mode of teaching and learning, most of our senior colleagues have been pushed to the verge of tears and disgust, thanks to self validated bullies masquerading out of social necessity as students. But they have sustained, tried and to some extent overcome the brutal challenges of online teaching, living in the same world that complained day in and out about how the pandemic has caused mental and physical devastation. I have experienced it first-hand that it all has been overwhelming for young teachers – which only makes me wonder and regard my senior colleagues so much more.

No compromises have been made on the teaching end. The preparation time, responsibilities and the need for relentless leadership has only increased for teachers during this time. Some of them get paid, some of them don’t. The reasons that work for students for not attending online classes or completing assigned work on time does not apply to teachers, even if genuine. With each passing day, (most) students have turned disgustingly apathetic towards the regulations of formal education.

Yes, it is stressful, new and challenging for the young and vulnerable student community. With complete understanding of it, every teacher has done his/her best to shoulder the burden and make it as easy as possible, while keeping the education system intact. The pressure is equally pressing for the teaching community if not more. The government and media don’t seem to care – malls and alcohol outlets are kept open but not colleges. Students are literally found holidaying but not sticking to the necessary regulations of formal education. Of course, comfortable questions will be raised against the system when their expectations from it aren’t met.

Sure, this was a vent. But I’m sure a lot of teachers reading this have agreed all the way, and that’s the point.