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Teacher Education

Notes Since ages the teacher has been looked upon by the community as one possessing knowedge
superior to that of his students. At the same time, however, he is not expectred to be a walking
encyclopedia of knowledge to unfold any thing at any time, it would be a sufficient achevement
if teachers so teach that the young will learn how to discover methods of solving problems that
are know or unknown.
The young must be taught how to think when a method to be used is not known and the problem
to be solved has not been formulated. Unfortunately, many teachers in schools and colleges have
not developed an intellectual capacity to see beyond what seems to be the obvious.
The teacher should be more than a mere skilled performer in a branch of his profession. When
the frontiers of knowledge change, the importance and even the validity of what is learnt may
not survive. What survives is the discipline of learning and the values acquired in the process.
The ultimate values of his professional endeavour bear on the habits of living and thinking.
Skills in teaching are, not doubt, important but they should nbot be taken for granted. The most
effective weapon of teacher is the silent example of his own power.
Today, both the teachers and the taught unequivocally condemn the system of education, the
examination set-up, the social environment and the whole gamut of he changing values that are
said to cut student's serousness in studies at its roots. Ironically enough, both the teacher and the
student seem to be helpless in setting these things right.
Apart from all this, most teachers do not seem to be concerned with the method and quality of
teaching done by them good, bad or indifferent teaching has become a common something with
is not a critical component of the educational process.
In the presentr times when teacher's pay scales are much better than what they where in the past,
they are still identified as discontented persons. Most of them look upon teaching as a job for
which the pay cheque is the only award. They are disillusioned cynical and bitter over the
inadequacies and the inconsistencies insofar as their place in the society is concerned.
Nevertheless, today's educators face a number of challenges. Some of their complaints and
aspirations are genuine and relevant. Like What happens in other advanced countries, the teacher
legitimately expects to be given place of pride in teh community through conscious efforts on the
part of the government.
We have the tradition of "Gunus" in this country. While the teacher does not replace parents but
complements their tasks most parents have not been found equal to their responsibilites.
The simmering discontent amongst teachers and the sporadic strikes need to be understood by
the powers that be in a correct perspective. Teachers generally do not fight for wages as most of
them have chosen the profession for the love of it. This is a reality howsoever the society may
find it unacceptable. It is alos true that teachers act as dynamos of ideas and if they display the
human resilience of a high order, no robot can replace them. The teacher has to9 find new ways
in which the energy of the young can be utilized for the beter of society.
Tradition is said to bring to teachers respect of the pupil and the society alike. However, this
tradition has received shocks in recent times and the teacher cannot take this respect for granted.
They have now to earn it in the hard way and to merit it. The teacher's influence is not confined
to what he does during his teaching hours in the classrooms, as in reality he teaches all the time.
Indeed, the teacher needs to derive pleasure from the saying: "I myself grow better day-by-day".
He must learn to strive towards 'the good life' sought by Secrates who constantly warned his
fellow Athenians to guard against becoming haters of men and haters of ideas.

What is the main objective of NPE and POA in relation to elementary education?

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