Almost in all schools, distribution of work poses a problem. Very few headmasters know the principles of distribution of workload among the teaching staff. There is a sort of hierarchy of subjects as regards strain involved in an ascending order.
The Science and Mathematics teachers take much more strain than those who teach History, Geography or Languages. A Mathematics teacher after solving a number of questions will perspire more than a language teacher who may enjoy piece of poem. So the strain becomes gradually less, who takes up craft, art and music or physical education or other co-curricular activities.
In some big schools there are sections in different classes. Here the teachers take less strain. 40 pupils is the convenient number in a section. In some states it goes up to 45 or 50. In some schools, the number in a section becomes 55 even. So the teacher is involved in a heavy size of correction work in every week. Again such load becomes proportionately heavier when the school goes understaffed. More periods involve more strain.
More so, few teachers are there are who devotees of teaching to take any strain are really. Dr. K.L. Shrimali in his pamphlet, “Better teacher education” makes an accurate study of situation. “A general survey of the teaching profession will reveal that a large majority of teachers do not cater this profession by choice, but are forced into it by circumstances. It will also be found that people who go into the profession come mostly from families belonging to lower income groups in the community”. So the teaching staff in India rarely comes from the upper strata of society with their brilliant academic achievements and job satisfaction.
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A well-known headmaster V.S. Mathur remarks, “Unless we improve substantially the quality of teaching force and see only men or women fitted by temperament, character, intelligence or aptitude for teaching are allowed to become teachers. We shall look in vain for any reform in education”.
Present Conditions of Teachers
Education is the back-bone of progressing nation and teacher is the pivot in the system of education. It is obvious; the progress of a nation depends upon the qualities of its teachers. Every where it is acclaimed that the teaching profession is the noblest of all professions. But it is the irony of fate that teaching is the most unattractive profession and the teacher, no longer occupies and honourable position in society.
The teacher in India today,”suffers from poverty, neglect, indifference and insecurity.” Financially they are poor, socially their status is low, professionally their task is a permanent dissatisfaction and administratively they are worst affected. Prof. K.G.Saiyidain rightly observes, “That teaching is still an unattractive profession which many persons take up at a last resort”.