The Keepers of the Future

This is for all the wonderful teachers I know ... keep up the great work.... you are our last hope.

A teacher is like that of a fireman whose job is of saving lives. Imagine what would happen if there was a fire and the fireman did not turn up ?

India is known as the land of the 'Vedas', religious scriptures written 1000s of years ago imparting knowledge and settings guidelines for a good life. 

This great land of ours is also known for its history, its advanced learning in the sciences and mathematics. One of the foundations of this great heritage has always been the role of the 'Guru' or 'Teacher' in the upbringing a student or 'Shishya' or 'Student'. This relationship between the 'Guru' and 'Shishya' was a critical bond of commitment & seriousness. 

Unfortunately over the years the sacred position of the 'Guru' in today's techno-modern society got has degraded and today we are paying a very heavy price for it.

As far as I can remember, my schools days never about studies. My memories have always been about friends, teachers and the fun we had. We had some good teachers, some not so good teachers, some were boring and some were interesting. When we woke up in the morning, our first thoughts used to be about going to school, the friends we were going to meet and the teachers we would have to listen to. Little did we realize what are teachers taught us in those days would be so important in our lives today. Little did we understand that our passion for knowledge and our choice of profession would depend so very much on the kind of teachers we had in school. On the flip side I wonder at times, did our teachers realize the profound impact they would have on us, years after we had passed out of school. ?

It is a social norm to presume that parents have a major role to play towards the upbringing of a child, yet we ignore the fact that a teacher also spends almost the same amount of time with the same child in her waking hours. We as children absorb, observe and at times even emulate our teachers as we grow up. We are what we are not only because of our parents but also because of our teachers.

There is a crucial point that goes unnoticed and that is parents might be responsible just their own children but a teacher is responsible for the upbringing 100s perhaps 1000s of pupils over the years. Imagine the future of 1000 citizens of this country dependent of what a single teacher does today. Society must recognize these silent heroes shaping the future of this land and that is why I call them the 'Keepers of the Future'.

Of course again on the flip side do teachers understand the responsibility of the vocation they have chosen ?

What our teachers do with our children today is how our country will face the future tomorrow. Think about it, are we as a country giving enough importance and respect to this vocation, a vocation so crucial to the future of this country , a vocation that should be invested in today for which we will get immeasurable returns tomorrow.

Have we forgotten our 'Keepers of the Future' and has the vocation itself lost its sanctity ?

It is now up to to us to ensure the lost reverence and respect of the 'Guru' is redeemed for it is our only hope.