There is a Chinese proverb that if you are planning for a year, sow rice; if you are planning for a decade, plant trees; if you are planning for a lifetime, educate people. Nelson Mandela has rightly put it: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The one who creates and makes this powerful weapon is none other than a teacher. It is a teacher who encourages us to drink deep from the ocean of knowledge. We must respect and pay our deep compliments to this great personality.
Many countries celebrate their Teachers’ Day on 5th October in conjunction with World Teachers’ Day. However, India celebrates it on 5th September in honour of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishan for his contribution to the Indian education system. On this day students recall their teachers who have educated, enlightened and prodded them into action in life.
Our beloved Prophet (pbuh) has also praised the teaching profession. Thus, we can say a teacher has a great status in Islamic society. According to Henry Adams, “A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops”. The poet and philosopher Dr Iqbal was all praise for teachers. He said that the youth were like Shaheens (eaglets) and it was the obligation of the teacher to give them the wings to soar high with. To quote him:
Sheikh-e-maktab hai ik imarat gar
Jiss ki sannat hai ruh-e-insani!
As the saying goes, “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” Teaching is essentially an intellectual activity. “It is not merely talking or expressing one’s ideas; it requires conscious and continuous organization of learning activities. It entails creation of a conductive and supportive learning environment. A teacher has to evolve a suitable plan of action to achieve desired changes in the behavior of a group of learners” (Madaan). Thus, a great teacher is like a candle, which burns itself to light the others.
However, it is very unfortunate to see that in our society the teacher does not get the status and respect which he or she deserves. Also, many teachers have misused this noble profession and thus are themselves responsible for the degradation of respect. The teacher-student relationship is a sacred one. A negative relationship can ruin and damage the student’s personality while a positive relationship can have good social, psychological and academic outcomes. Hence, when a teacher does not follow professionalism, or lacks enthusiasm and passion for teaching, when the driving force is mere money, this noble profession turns into a commodity. To quote Maya Angelou: “You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you.”
Teachers in China have the highest level of public respect, according to an international study comparing their status in 21 countries (BBC). Here in our part of the world, it is high time that we pay the highest compliments to our teachers who have guided us to the right path. As Aristotle said, “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life, those the art of living well.” On this special day, I pay my heartfelt reverence and gratitude to all my teachers who have shaped my career, moulded my future and taught me a lesson to strive, to seek, to find and not to yield.

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Arshid Aziz