Teachers play a very crucial role in the lives of children as they develop the necessary academic and social skills in the classroom. Often times, you hear students say their success depends on how well the teacher presents the information. Relating to impoverished countries, this notion is more important because education equals a better life and a more hopeful future.
Specifically in India, there has been a wide spread plague of absenteeism among teachers, especially in the poor rural areas such as Jharkhand and Koinara. With more than half of India’s population younger than 25, there’s a massive scare for the future of these young people and India’s economy.
Teachers in India are government- appointed, have no restrictions and can do as they please. So, if they feel like tending to personal needs, many of them simply leave the classrooms or rely on unqualified aids. What a harsh reality for these students to face.
Why must children suffer for one person’s decision to be irresponsible? India’s government needs to reevaluate their priorities.
According to the World Bank statistics, about 25 percent of teachers in government primary schools do not show up for class all over India. It really angers me to see adults making poor decisions that reflect on a child’s well being; it is very selfish and is harmful in the long run to the 1.1 billion people in India.
Sure, you can blame the size of India on its lack of committed teachers. But the United States, a country that has produced many great minds, will recruit young Indian students to work for the corporate world. Why now have these statistics popped up?
Consistency is essential, regardless of the location; attention should be paid to all of India, especially the poor who need better resources.
The rich are always finding ways to improve themselves, overlooking that a part of improving themselves is improving the human conditions around them to truly represent a country with pride. I think this is the case with India. The social classes may be largely divided, but an overall attitude within the government of responsible choices in the education system is necessary in order to hold onto its great reputation of producing intellectuals.
I am not discounting that India’s effort to raise school attendance amongst the young people, but who is going to teach these students if they are not making even greater efforts to keep the teachers in the classroom? With 90 percent of the education budget going to paying teachers, this still presents a major problem.
Miranda Gill is a senior journalism major and a contributing writer for the Daily Forty-Niner.
