In the modern society the importance of education has not only increased but has become the means to fight against the injustice and oppression done in any form. In this awaken society a teacher is called upon to perform more challenging role along with the impartation of knowledge.
India has always been a cradle for giving wisdom and spiritual heritage not only to its natives but people abroad also. There is nothing wrong to place a teacher on the same level where God is, but today time has change and even teachers too are called upon to remain more human and down the earth. Today, the teachers should give up the old aged idea of “Guru Devobhav.” They should discreetly remember that they are human beings and those to whom they impart the knowledge are also human beings. There are some basic human rights to which they too are entitled. Hence the teachers should help the students become aware of those human rights and eventually demand them. Today Human rights education is much more than a lesson in schools or a theme for a day; it is a process to equip people with the tools they need to live lives of security and dignity. Human rights are "rights and freedoms to which all humans are entitled." All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Indeed, a school is a place where children not only learn reading, writing and numeracy but also to appreciate values and to respect norms. Teachers who can provide quality education and who are respected by the students can teach them useful skills and knowledge, thus promoting stability, mutual respect and tolerance. They can also serve as role models, helping to establish a spirit of unity and love. Children will begin to appreciate and internalize these values and they will learn about their responsibilities. A good teacher will also be able to teach the students about the value of human rights and solidarity as well as the rights and duties of a citizen.
Education should be a means to empower children and adults alike to become active participants in the transformation of their societies. Learning should also focus on the values, attitudes and behaviors which enable individuals to learn to live together in a world characterized by diversity and pluralism.
BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS:
Right to life
Right to food
Right to work
Right to culture
Right to livelihood
Right to information
Right to participation
Right to development
Freedom of movement
Freedom of expression
Right to self-determination
Right to a safe environment
Right to privacy and family life
Right to public goods and services
Right to an adequate standard of living
Right to gender equality/women’s rights
Right to just and favourable conditions of work
Freedom from torture, cruel and inhuman treatment.
Each person has the right to maintain a separate self that is independent of the expectations, the approval, or the influence of others.
There is a proverb in English, ‘charity begins at home.’ The true role of a teacher to empower the students with the human rights begins in the schools itself. First of all the teachers should treat the students with respect, no matter what cultural, ethnic, or religious backgrounds they come from, you encourage, praise, appreciate, and reward the work of all of them as equally as possible. Positive attention to all can lead to higher achievement for all.
The things, the teacher should keep in mind and even teach the students are as follow. Definitely the teacher should be aware of the above basic human rights.
1. A strong stand against injustice.
2. The development of sympathy for those who are ill-treated and empathy based on understanding of others’ emotions and feelings.
3. Consequences of failure to practice the Golden Rule.
4. A continuation of simple examples that students of a particular age level can understand and, at times, have directly or indirectly experienced, in this case being examples of prejudice.
5. The fundamental human need for friendship and happiness rather than rejection and isolation.
6. The use of a thinking skills structure, Think-Pair-Share, to reinforce empathy toward the unfortunate students. In essence, the reduction of prejudice begins in our own thoughts and feelings.
There are numerous incidents where teachers have degraded the title and post too. If I am not mistaken then from the time “Mahabharata” onward till today, teachers have not tried to comprehend the mind of a student. Guru Dronacharya denied imparting the Vidya (knowledge) of archery to Eklavya. When Eklavya obtain the vidya somehow, he was asked his thumb in gurudakshina. Few years ago in PTC College, Patan, Gujarat, a girl was ganged rapped by a group of teachers nearly for four months.
What I want to say is that when there is injustice done to a student by a teacher s/he should not keep mum and cow down against the authority. Rather held his/her head up and fight for the right cause. This is possible only when the teachers are open enough to listen what the students have to say. They need to put their ego aside. Even a teacher should provide enough room for a dialogue before declaring his/her punishment. Because punishment is not the solution of the problem rather it cuts of the relation and poisons the mind of a student. Eventually that may ruin the life and carrier of a student.
So today I would like to appeal to all the teachers that please provide a room for a dialogue and listen to a student. Never ever take the decision on the spot itself. At time the decision taken in urgency may not be the right and there is possibility that an innocent may become a victim of it.
Having a dialogue and care-frontation will help a student to become a better student and eventually a better citizen. Thus the teachers can be effective instruments in building up the just society and models for the students to follow. When the teacher themselves respect the students and give due importance to human rights while treating the students, I am sure they will contribute a lot in forming brave citizens who will definitely stand by the truth. They will never bow or cow down to injustice. They will never be a part of destroying or terminating factor, because they will remember how they were treated by their teacher and how the importance was given to the human rights. They will never forget the role played by the teachers in building up their own carrier and character, hence they too will think before taking any wrong step that might ruin society.
Thus a role of a teacher genuinely in spreading and respecting the human rights will create a just and peaceful society. Therefore a teacher is not an ordinary being but a being slightly higher than all of us.
