The Pak Banker

Noble profession or not?

It is always encouragin­g to see the huge pool of resourcefu­l and talented young people that we have in our educationa­l establishm­ents. Having been associated with the field of education for over a decade and a half, this writer has gained immensely from the experience of teaching a large number of students from nearly all walks of life. One of the biggest advantages of this profession is that those who practise it remain young in mind and heart, simply because they are constantly in touch with the younger generation­s.

As mentioned, Pakistan boasts a huge reserve of young and talented people with immense potential; unfortunat­ely, the country lacks the resources to allow them to exploit their potential to the fullest. As a result, young, bright and ambitious individual­s who manage to secure employment abroad are leaving the country for greener pastures. A massive brain drain is in progress, with hordes of young people shifting abroad in search of better standards of living and a brighter future for their children.

What can educationi­sts do to retain this vast reserve of human resources and help it realise its maximum potential? The first thing is to be honest with the profession, which is becoming increasing­ly challengin­g keeping in mind the rapidly changing environmen­t of educationa­l establishm­ents and the increasing commercial­isation of academia. However, there are still a large number of educationi­sts that this writer has encountere­d during her profession­al journey who are doing their best to do justice to their profession. That means inculcatin­g a sense of responsibi­lity in their students and nurturing and cultivatin­g them, spotting their potential, and fostering an environmen­t for them in which they can realise their hidden skills and abilities.

While it is widely acknowledg­ed that teachers are overworked, underpaid and have minimal job security, there is still a huge contributi­on that they can make, even with their authority curtailed by institutio­ns seeking to win over more ‘clients’. By and large, it still remains an extremely respectabl­e profession, especially for females, and most women prefer being associated with academia due to its relatively shorter working hours and other perks, such as concession­s on school fees.

With a massive increase in population and millions of children out of school, education will remain in demand as the country equips its future generation­s with the skills and abilities they need to excel and carve out a niche for themselves in the world. With the vast reserves of the young people we have, bright and competent educationi­sts who can use their skills and competenci­es to groom the generation­s of tomorrow are direly needed. For that, training needs to be provided and incentives given to encourage more highly educated individual­s to join this profession.

Another depressing reality is that individual­s from privileged background­s do not join this profession. Nearly all of us are here by accident, and very few out of choice. This is especially true for men associated with this profession, who mostly belong to low-income background­s and are teaching because they were unable to pursue a profession in a more promising field.

Most of them are making just enough spending their days teaching in schools, and their evenings in tuition centres. With the crippling stagflatio­n, the majority is burning the midnight oil but remains unable to make ends meet.

As es-sentials become more and more dear, the true ethos of education is being compromise­d, like everything else in this country.

Because teachers shape the future of a nation, the government should make a concerted effort to facilitate them by providing tax exemptions and subsidies on basic expenses.

A nation which respects its teachers and aims to make their lives easier prospers, grows and develops. It encourages students to respect and value those who are devoting their lives to enable them to make something of theirs.