Tahir Saleem
Someone asked the great Greek philosopher Alexander the Great, “Why do you respect your teacher Aristotle more than your father?” The conqueror gave a historic answer: “My father brought me from heaven to earth, while my teacher raised me from earth to the heights of heaven.” History is witness that nations that valued teachers were destined to lead the world. But unfortunately, today we are breathing in that part of the 21st century where the black and white owners of our education system are busy throwing away the turbans of teachers.
In recent days, a very controversial and shameful statement by Punjab Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat came to light, which has sent a wave of concern and anger in educational and social circles across the country. The said person, while making a cheap accusation of theft against the entire teaching community at a public forum, said that “teachers steal electronic items, fans and lights, etc. from schools.” Using a vulgar and vulgar word like “thief” for the builders of the nation does not befit an education minister in any way. This statement is not only an insult to millions of teachers, but it also reflects the mental bankruptcy and ignorant mindset of the said person himself.
Rana Sikandar Hayat perhaps needs to be reminded of the incident in history when there was a dispute between the two sons of Caliph Harun al-Rashid (Amin and Mamun) over who would lift the teacher’s shoes, and the Caliph expressed pride in it. Here, the situation is completely opposite. As soon as a person sits on the throne of power, he starts considering himself to be a wise man, although he himself is indebted to these same teachers. This is the same Rana Sikandar Hayat whose videos and screenshots of him spelling very simple and basic English words incorrectly have been going viral on social media in the past. A person who himself is still in the educational and political level of a “newborn”, who himself still needs to learn the alphabet of language and expression, is pointing fingers at teachers whose entire lives have been spent sharing knowledge.
“In a society where a teacher is put in the dock and called a thief, morality, civilization and knowledge depart from there, and only the darkness of ignorance remains behind.”
If there is a single incident of administrative malpractice or theft in one or two schools in Punjab, then the solution is a departmental inquiry and disciplinary action. Where is the wisdom in punishing the entire community for the mistake of a single individual and calling teachers thieves in press conferences? Can the Education Minister dare to use similar language about other officers of his department, bureaucracy or politicians, who are accused of corruption worth billions of rupees? Of course not. Teachers are made easy targets because they have nothing but chalk and duster to protest with.
Punjab’s education system is already in a state of disarray. There is no clean drinking water in schools, there are no boundary walls, and teachers are burdened with non-educational burdens like census, election duties and dengue campaign in addition to teaching. Instead of solving these basic problems and providing facilities to teachers, the Education Minister wants to gain cheap fame by humiliating them. When students see their teachers being humiliated like this on TV screens, their respect for teachers will be gone forever.
Rana Sikandar Hayat should make it a point that teachers are the key pillars of society without whom no nation can move forward on the path of development. By throwing away the turbans of teachers, they are not improving the education system but are cutting its roots. The said person should immediately and unconditionally apologize to the entire teaching community for this irresponsible and ignorant statement of his, otherwise history will remember him as a “Minister of Education” who used to throw mud at those who light the candle of knowledge.
