THE
TEACHER AS A NATION BUILDER
The teacher can be
brightly called a nation builder. Teachers through their perseverance, love and
sacrifices has shown us the right path in which great men have built our
nation. It is our dear teachers who mould our character, our personality and
show us the right direction which leads us to our final destination.
Flourishing national development and a society truly prosperous with
knowledge all begins from its teachers. While the role of knowledge and a
skilled society with visions and aspirations in the success of a nation cannot
be stressed enough, it should also be remembered that knowledge cannot be
acquired if it is not sought and received through the help of the teacher. This
is why everyone should put efforts into seeking as much knowledge as possible
and appreciate the teacher’s importance in guiding us and the generations to
come, to become knowledgeable and morally upright people.
Knowledge received without a teacher’s guidance can be compared to a
blind man walking without his stick. Because of this, teachers need to have a
high level of commitment towards their duties and responsibilities which have
been entrusted to them.
The role of a teacher is a multi-faceted one comprising academic,
pedagogical and social roles. Academic roles comprise teaching, counseling and
supervisory roles while pedagogical roles include instructional, evaluation and
facilitating roles. Social roles of the teacher include preparing pupils to
participate in the way of life of the society.
No other personality can have an influence more profound than that of a
teacher. Students are deeply affected by the teacher’s love and affection, his
character, his competence and his moral commitment. The students try to follow
their teacher in his manners, customs, etiquette, style of conversation and get
up. During their early education, the students tend to determine their aims in
life and their future plans, in consultation with their teachers. He can lead
them anywhere. Therefore, a corrupt and decadent class of teachers can harm a
nation more seriously than a class of corrupt and perverted judiciary, army,
police, bureaucracy, politicians or technocrats. A nation with corrupt teachers
is a nation at risk; every coming day announces the advent of its approaching
destruction.
Teachers therefore, have to play a cardinal role in the building up of
the character of the next generation. It is the fact that a civilization cannot
rise out of a skeleton of mere ideas and abstract concepts. Civilization finds
a concrete shape in the practical behavior of a nation, based on these
principles and concepts. Once the practical aspect is gone, the civilization
also disappears and can only be studied through its remnants preserved in
museums and chronicles.
The essence of the teacher as a nation builder cannot be
over-emphasized. Good teachers need to be themselves constantly seeking
knowledge, be of good character, have high motivation and be creative, innovative
and effective in their teaching strategies.
