Breaking silence over assault on teachers
Friday, 6 January 2012
Md Nurnobi Islam
On December 25, 2011 different newspapers published news about assault on a teacher in Kurigram Government College. A student who happens to be president of Chhatra League of that college confined a teacher on duty in a room and kicked him indiscriminately for not allowing his relative to take mobile phone inside the class room. Since I was once a student at Kurigram, now studying in Dhaka, the news attracts my attention and raises my concern about the safety of the teachers who do not compromise on unethical practices. It should be the concern of all students, teachers and politicians also, who patronise this meaningless student politics. It is beyond my imagination how a student can assault a teacher especially for an unethical cause. The matter proves graver still when we see these students do not undergo any punishment with the college authority or the local politicians who patronise them turning a blind eye. If this situation continues, days are not far when qualified and dignified teachers will leave the job in disgust.
Teachers of our country are secured neither physically nor psychologically. The remuneration paid to them is not enough to lead a decent life. So, the only satisfaction this profession can provide is respect and social dignity. But if these two motivational factors disappear because of student politics, undoubtedly this nation will suffer from chronic deficiency of qualified teachers and real education in near future. This noble profession should be made attractive to qualified teachers by giving them proper recognition for their contribution to make a knowledge-based society.
Assaults on teachers are not an isolated problem. These kind of unanticipated events are taking place in many public educational institutions throughout the country. It is difficult to find out a public university where vicious student politics is not active. Quality of education is sharply deteriorating because of student politics in those institutions. It is sad that many of the teachers are also utilising the students to strengthen their political base and giving protection to these student groups. If these students fail to receive proper education only because of political interests of some people, the whole nation will have to pay for it. Our teachers and politicians should carefully think about the need for student politics in educational institutions. They should think about the nation's interest sacrificing their own interests to ensure proper educational environment.
It is a matter of concern that students are being used as tools of our politicians. All the political parties are encouraging students to join them and to take control of the educational institutions. The resulting violence is the headache of the whole nation. We should come out of this harmful student politics for the greater interest of the nation. Our nation has no need of student politics. Politics should be banished from all the educational institutions by formulating laws for ensuring the rights of the general students to get quality education in a peaceful environment. Neither students nor teachers should be allowed to do politics within the campus. Nationwide protests should be launched to stop assaults on teachers. We all should break our silence regarding the issue and raise our voice against those who turn aggressive on teachers. And all these are possible only when our two major political parties reach a consensus to ban student politics in all schools, colleges and universities for creating a better environment of education.
The writer is a student of the Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka. He can be reached at email: nurmkt157@gmail.com
On December 25, 2011 different newspapers published news about assault on a teacher in Kurigram Government College. A student who happens to be president of Chhatra League of that college confined a teacher on duty in a room and kicked him indiscriminately for not allowing his relative to take mobile phone inside the class room. Since I was once a student at Kurigram, now studying in Dhaka, the news attracts my attention and raises my concern about the safety of the teachers who do not compromise on unethical practices. It should be the concern of all students, teachers and politicians also, who patronise this meaningless student politics. It is beyond my imagination how a student can assault a teacher especially for an unethical cause. The matter proves graver still when we see these students do not undergo any punishment with the college authority or the local politicians who patronise them turning a blind eye. If this situation continues, days are not far when qualified and dignified teachers will leave the job in disgust.
Teachers of our country are secured neither physically nor psychologically. The remuneration paid to them is not enough to lead a decent life. So, the only satisfaction this profession can provide is respect and social dignity. But if these two motivational factors disappear because of student politics, undoubtedly this nation will suffer from chronic deficiency of qualified teachers and real education in near future. This noble profession should be made attractive to qualified teachers by giving them proper recognition for their contribution to make a knowledge-based society.
Assaults on teachers are not an isolated problem. These kind of unanticipated events are taking place in many public educational institutions throughout the country. It is difficult to find out a public university where vicious student politics is not active. Quality of education is sharply deteriorating because of student politics in those institutions. It is sad that many of the teachers are also utilising the students to strengthen their political base and giving protection to these student groups. If these students fail to receive proper education only because of political interests of some people, the whole nation will have to pay for it. Our teachers and politicians should carefully think about the need for student politics in educational institutions. They should think about the nation's interest sacrificing their own interests to ensure proper educational environment.
It is a matter of concern that students are being used as tools of our politicians. All the political parties are encouraging students to join them and to take control of the educational institutions. The resulting violence is the headache of the whole nation. We should come out of this harmful student politics for the greater interest of the nation. Our nation has no need of student politics. Politics should be banished from all the educational institutions by formulating laws for ensuring the rights of the general students to get quality education in a peaceful environment. Neither students nor teachers should be allowed to do politics within the campus. Nationwide protests should be launched to stop assaults on teachers. We all should break our silence regarding the issue and raise our voice against those who turn aggressive on teachers. And all these are possible only when our two major political parties reach a consensus to ban student politics in all schools, colleges and universities for creating a better environment of education.
The writer is a student of the Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka. He can be reached at email: nurmkt157@gmail.com