Ennobling a profession

Each year on September 5, India commemorates Teachers’ Day in memory of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the philosopher and Independent India’s second President who believed education was the foundation of nation-building. His life-from a poor student in a German missionary school in Tirupati to the highest office of the Republic-demonstrated the transformative role of teachers. Yet the state of the teaching profession today raises uncomfortable questions. Personalities like Dr Radhakrishnan are products of teachers who posses a set of qualities that transcend textbooks- confidence, patience, compassion, clarity, and the ability to inspire. As Dr. Radhakrishnan envisioned teachers as nation builders, institutions-governments, universities, and society at large-must go beyond symbolism. In this, Teachers’ Day must serve as a reminder that without investing in those who teach, India cannot hope to secure the future of those who learn. The teaching profession has changed significantly over the decades. Unlike earlier times, today’s teachers are better qualified, professionally trained, and equipped with degrees such as the B.Ed. While once the profession was often chosen out of passion, many now enter it for employment security, reflecting a broader shift in social and economic priorities. However, being better qualified does not mean teachers get good pay especially those in private institutions. This is one reason why teachers with poor salaries are compelled to make tuitions the main job. This is because education today, has tilted towards results and away from learning; pushing families into a cycle of dependence on private lessons. Education is judged almost entirely through the lens of academic performance, despite years of talk about “holistic learning.” Unfortunately, the outcome is troubling- classrooms are no longer the centre of teaching. Instead, private tuitions have become the mainstay, turning teachers into tutors and families into clients. This parallel system has placed a heavy financial strain on parents. After paying steep admission and quarterly fees, they have to spend again on costly tuitions because they believe classroom teaching alone will not help their children succeed in examinations. The question, then, is why tuition has become the norm rather than the exception?. Part of the problem lies in the weight of the curriculum itself. Students lug stacks of textbooks that resemble small libraries, leaving little space for genuine understanding or confidence-building. When formal schooling overwhelms rather than nurtures, parents and teachers alike turn to tuition as a coping mechanism. Curricula, too, have expanded beyond textbooks. Subjects once regarded as specialized-event management, NGO development, Skill development or AI etc -have entered mainstream learning in order to equip students for survival in a competitive world where job opportunities are no longer limited but unlimited requiring high degree of diverse skills.Much has shifted in attitudes, philosophies, and methods, but one enduring mission remains- the responsibility of shaping character and preparing the next generation for life. It is this timeless role that makes honoring teachers not merely symbolic but deeply meaningful, for they continue to serve as the foundation on which society builds its future. The gradual loss of moral authority and discipline are being steadily compromised.The fault lies not with individual teachers alone but with an education system that prioritizes outcomes over values. If society wishes to strengthen learning, it must restore dignity to teaching and reaffirm the central role of educators.