Changing dynamics of guru-shishya bond

There is a certain erosion of values over the years on both sides. The recent spate of violent incidents against the gurus is alarming. It is a wake-up call for society. Never could one imagine that a teacher could be physically harmed by a student. On the other side, neither could one believe that a student could be raped or harmed by his/her guru. One needs to give a serious thought that all this is basically harming the quality of education in our country.

The teacher needs to be a friend,philosopher,guide and facilitator for the student. Teaching once seen as an ideal profession should not lose its sheen. Have we ever questioned our young ones why they don’t want to become educators? This is a matter for introspection. Is it only the emoluments or is it something else?

After being in the profession for the past 20 years,I have seen how students have undergone a change. They have become street-smart,a bit more selfish,etc. But is it our duty to channelise their energies in the right direction. To give them a feeling of self worth; to teach them the difference between right and wrong.

In my school,I have seen the blind faith and trust that the pre-primary students have in their teachers. Why can’t we nurture them to be the same throughout their life. I don’t think the dignity of the teacher is compromised in any way if she does admit that she could be wrong too. In the technological world that we are living in the student is well-equipped. No harm on my part to say that,yes,I have to look up the question that is being asked. Why make it an ego issue? The student will respect you more if you are honest.

I strongly believe that it is our job and duty to correct the child when he or she is wrong. Spare the rod,yes,but your eyes should do the talking.

No smart board can substitute the teacher. So let’s make the relationship strong and worthy.

Tania Joshi,Vice-Principal,The Indian School

In this world of selfish people,everyone fails to take a second and think about the intention behind our teacher’s scolding. Earlier,our teacher’s scolding was like a blessing. It helped us be a better person. It still is a blessing,but the students are oblivious to it. But like fire in the rain,teachers love us and they are aware that in this age,we are mere victims to our own anger and peer pressure. Teachers are not perfect. But no one is. Isn’t that what humanity is all about?There is respect within the hearts of the students — some have it way deep down and some on the surface.  When we dream and begin to think “No I can’t do it”,teachers are there to say “why not?” In other words,this unique relation that has been going on for so many years is still the same. But we are just unaware of it.

Pallak Singh,X-Rockview Venkateshwar Intl. School,Dwarka

in olden times,the guru and shishya had a great understanding within themselves. The shishya respected the guru a lot. The guru’s wishes were completed by the shishya. The shishya followed the guru’s orders blind-folded. Gone are the days when Guru-Shishya Parampara existed in our country,when the guru was above God and when the guru’s words were God’s words,when students had genuine respect for their teachers.The communication between the student and the teacher serves as a connection between the two,which provides a better atmosphere for a classroom learning. The teacher-student relationship is very important for children. Children spend approximately five to seven hours a day with a teacher for almost ten months. The key is,teachers need to continuously monitor the student in order for him or her to be aware of any difficulties that they are having. Understanding the child’s problem,fear,or confusion will give the teacher a better understanding about the child’s learning difficulties. Once the teacher becomes aware of the problems,he or she will have more patience with the student,thus making the child feel secure or less confused when learning is taking place in the classroom. These days,after the implementation of CCE,the relation between the teacher and the student has improved as the grades of the student are in the hands of the teacher. Thus,before CCE was implemented,many students didn’t care about their reputation or their relations with teachers. The teacher needs to understand that in many schools,especially in big cities like Delhi,children come from different cultures and backgrounds. A teacher then needs to understand the value of the students’ senses of belonging,which can be of greater value and help build self worth in some students. If the teacher demonstrates an understanding of the student’s culture,it will provide a better understanding between the teacher and the student.

Indranil Roy,X-DD Venkateshwar Int’l School,Dwarka

I have come to believe that a great teacher is a great artist and that they are as few as there are any other great artists. Teaching might even be the greatest of the arts since the medium is the human mind and spirit,said renowned writer John Steinbeck.

When a child first steps into a school,he/she tries to build relationship with people around them,especially the teachers. If a teacher understands the students,then there will be a good relationship between them because when students have problems in school they can speak freely with teachers and they can find solutions together. If that relationship and communication between student-teacher are good,then students will have more respect for the teacher and he/she will pay more attention in class. But if that relationship is bad,then going to school will be the biggest nightmare for the student and for the teacher. So students have to have respect for teachers and teachers,in turn, have to be tolerant of students and their mistakes. School is the place where we spend most of our day. When we come home,we are tired and want to sleep,or we have homework,or we just go out with friends. So the people who,perhaps,know us better than anyone — even our parents,sometimes — are teachers,the people we see,talk,laugh and even dislike everyday. So,I think teachers play an important role in the development in our character and behaviour. They help us grow us and turn us into good citizens. That is why I think the relationships we have with our teachers is a very important part of our lives. If they are understanding and caring,then we become better people in the future. Bless

our teachers .

Sheya BasakVenkateshwar Intl. School,Dwarka

The guru and shishya relationship is unique to India and has been around for the past 2,500 years. Anyone with adequate training (eg,in music or painting) can be a teacher. A guru,on the contrary,goes beyond the subject knowledge and becomes a mentor and a spiritual guide,leading the shishya (disciple). To lead and to be led,both the guru and the shishya need sincerity and a dedication to each other.

The teacher can make or break the child. He/she has to set examples by walking the talk. Simple things like valuing time,respecting every person’s right to dissent,giving every person a fair chance to express his/her views,putting a premium on honesty,etc.,have to be practised by teachers first.

Unfortunately,modern-day teachers do not have the time for all this. They treat teaching as a profession where they are paid to take a specific number of classes,finish the syllabus,take tests ,give liberal hints of what questions will be coming so that the results of the class is good and nobody has a reason to grudge — the student ,the principal or the parents. Cosmetic surgery is the order of the day. Beautiful display boards where the parent downloads information from the Net and prints it in glossy paper,projects given for holidays done by professionals in the market . If the child is stupid enough to do the project himself he will get the least marks among all the other spanking,professionally made projects . It is not important whether the student really understood what was in the project.The mad rush for grades overrides all such naive considerations.

Teachers are also equally to blame for this situation. Teachers today teach very less in schools and take very little interest in the child’s growth in class. Morals and principles have been thrown out of the window. A teacher should inspire love for the subject in a student. A student should have genuine desire to attend the class both due to the subject as well as due to the way it is taught by the teacher.

Rudrani Dhole,IX- Lovedale Venkateshwar Intl School,Dwarka

The guru-shishya tradition has been the backbone of many generations in the past. It has honed several great icons in the country. The term ‘Guru’ which comes from Hindu scriptures,refers to a spiritual teacher. ‘Gu’ means darkness and ‘Ru’ means light; thus a guru turns ignorance into enlightenment. The guru moulds the student’s character,versatility,confidence,strength and overall vision of life. Ideally,in the guru-shishya parampara,the relationship was unconditional — nothing was asked for in return as a pre-condition other than the acceptance of the shishya as a student. Acquisition of knowledge  was undertaken in a formal framework under the gurukul system,where the shishya surrendered himself to the guru.

This can be illustrated by examples from the Mahabharata. The manner in which Arjuna became proficient in all disciplines under the loving care and affection of his guru Dronacharya,brings out the essence of the guru-shishya relationship.

Today,with the surge in population ,we find that the process has made it possible for more people to gain education. Also,in today’s era of fast-changing values and technology,we find that students are getting exposed to many medium of education — the media,the Internet and books,to name a few. In such a case,many may wonder,do we really need a teacher to teach anymore? Can a human being be replaced by audio-visual aids?

It is true that these aids appeal to the eyes and mind,but at the same time,they are mechanical,emotionless and can feed facts and nothing else. In contrast,if a teacher takes his duty and responsibility seriously,he can provide moral support,ethical values,emotional positivty to the upbringing of the child. Hence,teachers should  try to match pace with the GenNext,so that they can understand the students in a better manner. This will help to preserve the sanctity of the relationship.

It would not be wrong to conclude that with the passage of time,the one-on-one teacher-pupil relationships is declining. But,in my opinion,they can never be replaced. This is live interaction and will go on till there are people. Teachers in classrooms are the modern gurus. For,Kabir has rightly said,“People who do not understand Guru are blind. If God is displeased with us,Guru is there for salvation. If he is displeased,there can be no salvation.”

Saniya Bhatia The Indian School,Sadiq Nagar