Roles, Responsibilities and Duties of Teachers in Building Modern India

 

ABSTRACT

Whatever India will be in the next generation depend upon what the teachers do to their students today in the classrooms. It is here that a teachers’ responsibility finds expression.

The roles and responsibilities of teachers can be categorized under two heads-Educational arena in particular and national development in general.

Gone are the days when teaching was the only responsibility of teachers. They are required to evaluate students’ performance and achievement objectively and comprehensively.

For properly guiding their teaching learning process, they need to conduct studies ranging from action research to sophisticated doctoral and post doctoral research for solving the classroom and school problems and for improving the teaching methodology, teaching, skill, management of media class and school organization, conduct and implementation of co-curricular programmes.

The modern teachers are also required to organize different co-curricular activities like sports and games, debates and discussions, publications and literary activities, cultural and recreational activities, aesthetic and social activities in and outside the school campus for promoting all round development of students’ personalities. Their share in the national development cannot be underestimated and they have to be sensitive to the social issues and problems.

Last but not the least teachers are the instruments to develop in the students, a high character-energy, a pure national awareness, a firm democratic loyalty, a dedicated social responsibility.

Our culture is nearly 5000 years old and is very rich, and ‘Education’, with its acquisition and diffusion of knowledge, had been the strength behind this culture. It has contributed to and enriched the sciences, the arts, philosophy, religion and socio-political thought.

The definition of ‘Education’ according to an American critic whose article published in National Parent-Teacher Journal is as follows:

Education is ‘that mysterious process whereby information passes from the lecture notes of the professor on to the notebook of the student, through his pen without entering the mind of either!’ This situation is true not only in America but in our country too.

The most important processing takes place under, the teachers, who deliver their products to the secretariats, to politics, to education, to the banks, to the insurance companies, and to other professions.If these products are crude and selfish, and without a sense of national responsibility, it is because the teachers, as a class, have not given healthy ideas to their students.

So, whatever India will be in the next generation will depend upon what the teachers do to their students today in the classrooms. It is here that a teacher’s national responsibility finds expression.

Thus, the new roles and responsibilities of teachers can be categorized under two heads:

1) Educational arena in particular, and;

2) National development in general

1) EDUCATIONAL ARENA

The teachers have to discharge a number of basic responsibilities irrespective of times and stages of education. These functions can be categorized as follows:

a) Teaching

b) Class Management and Planning of Lessons

c) Evaluation of Students’ Performance

d) Research Activities

e) Co-Curricular and Extension Activities

a) Teaching

Teaching is the most fundamental responsibility of teachers irrespective of their time and stage of education. Especially, at the stage of higher education, a great quantum of knowledge is required to be imparted and a vast area is of topics need to be covered by teachers. Teachers should not only acquire the quantum of knowledge that is required for various groups of learners but also use different methods and techniques of teaching for which they have to master a good number of skills.

The quantum of knowledge is being multiplied so fast and some of the theories and concepts are getting outdated so quickly that there has been explosion of knowledge and information in all subject areas. The vast volume of content knowledge is to be imparted to the students’ community.

It has to be updated keeping place with advancements. These call for high intellectual effort and preparedness on the part of teachers. An actual teacher cannot just repeat same content over number of year. It has to be transmitted through a series of lessons transacted with a particular method of technique. A good lesson is an artistic creation and unique presentation of facts.

b) Class Management

With a view to make the teaching activity very effective, it is essential that teachers should know practice certain skills and techniques of class management or school organizations, even planning of lessons and preparing teacher’s notes.

Class management contributes a lot to the success of teaching and forms an integral part of the teaching-learning process. The teacher should ensure democratic organization and active participation of students for optimum realization of the goals. Authoritarian management of the classroom with restrictions on freedom and interaction of student adversely affect the students’ performance in the long run.

c) Evaluation of Students’ Performance

Concluding examinations and evaluation is an important function of the teacher. But it is not meant in a stereotyped mechanical and traditional manner but as a creative, continuous and built in mechanism in the total teaching learning process. It should not be used only for grading or rejecting and passing of the “good” that produced in the factories of educational institutions rather it should be looked upon as a tool for providing the quality of education.

Teachers should know the preparation and use of various kinds of test items under the three main categories of essays, short answers and objective types. Besides knowledge and skill acquisition, teachers should develop a positive and objective attitude and interest in the evaluation system. If teachers will be partial, superfluous and suspicious in nature and involve themselves in malpractices then their very honesty and integrity will be questioned which may lead to so many undesirable issues and problems. On the whole, the very purpose of examinations will be defeated and smooth conduct of various tests is likely to be jeopardized in the colleges and postgraduate departments.

d) Research Activities

Research activities of teachers are of crucial importance not merely for getting promotion or any other financial benefits, but for promoting their professional growth. Research not only helps in acquisition and generation of knowledge but also gives scientific bent of mind and self-confidence in a particular field. It also helps in accelerating the pace of progress, sociological, scientific, political, literary, and technological and so on. Teachers of higher education are engaged in research activities usually before or after the commencement of their carrier.

Having acquired an adequate degree of proficiency in research work and competence in the areas of his special interest and expertise, he can take up research studies big or small sponsored by various organizations, at the regional, national and international level. At present, UGC, NCERT etc. have been providing funds for research programmes. He can even work as a leader of the group engaged in research activities or problem solving studies and experiments. It is not always necessary that the research studies should be large scale calling for huge funds and sophisticated instrumentation. Small Scale Projects or problem solving nature seeking solutions to the local, regional or even classroom problems are rather more useful and meaningful.

e) Co-Curricular Activities

Co-Curricular activities are not considered equally for students’ development. Previously, these were considered extra-curricular and teachers excepting few not given any responsibility. They were also occasionally and haphazardly organized by the educational institutions. But now the physiological, ethical, academic, social civics, aesthetic, cultural and recreational values of co-curricular activities have been emphasized and due attention has been given to on their effective organization and management.

Selection of these activities should be judicious and according to the physical and human resource available. Teachers should be held responsible for organization of these activities according to their interest and experience.

f) Extension Activities

It is being realized that teachers of higher education cannot do justice to their role and responsibilities if they are not adequately involved in the day to day social problems.

Extension activities therefore been taken as an important dimension to the teachers’ role and responsibilities. No educational institution should remain isolated from the society and no teacher should keep himself aloof from the current social issues. Various extension activities should be taken up not only from sociological point of view, but also pedagogical considerations. These activities enable the teacher and students to be involved in the community problems and make teaching as well research more meaningful and relevant.

2) NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

A teacher has not only to instruct but also to inspire the students; he or she has to influence the life and character of his or her students, and equip them with ideas and values which will fit them to enter the stream of national life as worthy citizens.

They have to educate them on the need to recognize the equality of men and women in our democracy, to discard all caste exclusiveness and pride, untouchability, and communal distinctions and antagonisms, and to strengthen ‘the dignity of the individual and the unity of the nation’, as our Constitution proclaims.

The role of a teacher is to shape the minds of the younger generation. That shaping will be on positive lines; development of a scientific and humanistic attitude and temper, self-discipline, concern for other people, an ecological awareness and concern, a firm conviction that democracy thrives on tolerance, and a firm commitment ‘to break wits’ and ‘not to break heads’.

To strengthen our democracy, teachers must instill into the students our ancient cultural spirit of tolerance of different opinions and viewpoints, and acquaint them with the modern wisdom expressed in the dictum of the famous French thinker, Voltaire: ‘I do not accept what you say; but I will defend with my life your right to say so’.

Conclusion

The role and responsibilities of teachers have been multifarious, multidisciplinary and multidimensional. Gone are the days when teaching was the only responsibility of teachers. Teachers have to teach no doubt, but they should also manage the class properly and plan lessons adequately for ensuring effectiveness of achievement objectively and comprehensively

For properly guiding their teaching learning process, they need to conduct studies ranging from action research to sophisticated doctoral and post doctoral research for solving the classroom and school problems and for improving the teaching methodology, teaching, skill, management of media class and school organization, conduct and implementation of co-curricular programmes.

The modern teachers are also required to organize different co-curricular activities like sports and games, debates and discussions, publications and literary activities, cultural and recreational activities, aesthetic and social activities in and outside the school campus for promoting all round development of students’ personalities. Their share in the national development cannot be underestimated and they have to be sensitive to the social issues and problems.

Last but not the least teachers are the instruments to develop in the students, a high character-energy, a pure national awareness, a firm democratic loyalty, a dedicated social responsibility.

Bibliography

1) Agarwal, J.C Educational Administration, School Organization and Supervision, Arya Book Depot, New Delhi.

2) Government of India, Challenges of Education: A Policy Perspective, Ministry of Education, New Delhi, 1985.

3) Government of India, National Policy on Education, 1986, Ministry of Human Resource Development, New Delhi.

4) Government of India, Programme of Action, Ministry of Human Resource Development (Education), New Delhi, 1986.

5) Mohanty Jagannath, Modern Trends in Indian Education, Deep & Deep Publications, New Delhi.

6) Swami Vivekananda: Complete Works, Calcutta, Advaita, 1992, Vol.I.pp.389

By

Madhumita

Email: 18.madhumita-at-gmail.com