Education is the most important and vital aspect for a developed and progressive society. Education brings out the best of the social and human values and enhances them with absolute precision and efficiency. Schools of a nation are the places where best of the humans are made and produced and teachers are the real craftsmen who create the best masterpieces for the society out of ordinary humans. The most valued, pious and sacred is the profession of a Teacher.

Whenever a society is appreciated for something good, it is a teacher who has a contribution in the goodness and greatness of a society in one or the other way. Most teachers enter the teaching profession for the love of empowering the youth and making a contribution to society. A teacher should be respected as a facilitator of knowledge.

It takes a lot of effort, patience to teach. Not every teacher is a great teacher, only a few are. Have you wondered what makes a teacher a good teacher? Every teacher teaches, educates and imparts knowledge. Yes, every teacher teaches us, but a good teacher makes you understand, makes you a skilled person and not just knowledgeable.

Indeed, a good teacher sees the potential in you and tries to refine it and make you shine like a bright star. It is not easy to be a teacher and it is not at all easy to be a good teacher. Every one of us has our own set of good and favorite teachers, what makes them so special to you is not just their teachings, but their qualities, their uniqueness that captured your hearts.

In Kashmir there are thousands of teachers who work in private schools with absolute zest, passion and dedication and have been giving their best in the best of their knowledge, capabilities and capacities. Our teachers leave no stone unturned to make students brighter, smarter and better and it is evident to every sane and sensible Kashmiri. Yet, the private school teachers are given the meagre and minimum wages despite their untiring and selfless services.

Private School Teachers have to face enormous difficulties and miseries while discharging their duties, in many places they are treated as slaves and second class citizens by school administrations and the people at the helm of affairs. It is pertinent to mention here that some of the finest schools in valley value and appreciate the efforts and hardwork of their teachers and this is undoubtedly a very encouraging and appreciable trend in making. However, the fact is that as a society we have always failed to understand, recognize and appreciate the strenuous efforts of our private school teachers in nation building.

During crises like that of corona virus pandemic everyone was crying for the business class, transporters, shopkeepers, traders and other classes of society however no one spoke and stood for private teachers.

What an irony! Isn't this our collective failure as a society?

Everyone knows about the meagre wages /salary a private teacher gets and all the miseries and difficulties he / she faces despite of discharging duties with all commitment and dedication yet no one seems to be bothered about them.

The need of the hour is to appreciate value and encourage our private sector teachers for their immense contribution in the quality and standard of education in kashmir. Teachers are an important part of everyone’s life and achievements, yet we wait for teachers’ day to appreciate their valuable contribution and to express our love, gratitude, & respect towards them. Even the teachers know that while they strictly teach their students to be disciplined, courteous, obedient, and channelized, the students don’t realize that they are being prepared for the bigger challenges of life.

Teachers know that one fine day their students would realize this and come back. They would turn up to their teachers and credit them for whatever they have achieved. Teachers never show what problems they underwent to show us the right way.

(Author is spokesperson @ Private Teachers Association)