A Call for Understanding

In recent times, countless stories have surfaced, unfairly portraying teachers in a negative light—accusing them of exploiting students, fabricating narratives of humiliation, and dragging the noble teaching community into ridicule. These narratives, often concocted and sensationalized, not only tarnish the reputation of teachers but also shake the very foundation of trust upon which the student–teacher bond rests.

A school is not merely a building, comprising bricks and mortar. It is the second home for every child, a place where the seeds of values, discipline, and character are sown. Teachers, after parents, hold the most sacred role in shaping young minds. To demean this role is not just to belittle an individual, but to undermine the sanctity of the entire institution of education.

Yes, it must be stated without hesitation: no child should ever be forced into labour, nor should students be burdened with tasks that exploit or demean them. Such practices are unacceptable and should be condemned. But there lies a vital distinction between exploitation and education. When teachers encourage students to care for plants in the school garden, to keep classrooms neat, to learn the dignity of labour through small, constructive tasks—it is not to reduce them to workers, but to elevate them as responsible, compassionate individuals.

For what is education, if not the cultivation of respect, humility, and responsibility? Sweeping a classroom teaches dignity of work. Planting a sapling nurtures love for nature. Arranging books instills discipline. These simple acts—when guided by a teacher—become lifelong lessons in humanity, preparing children not only for examinations of the classroom but also for the examinations of life.

Unfortunately, in a society quick to judge and quicker to sensationalize, such noble efforts are often misrepresented. Teachers are painted as exploiters, when in truth, they are torchbearers, silently shaping future generations with patience and care. If such misinterpretations continue, it will not only demoralize the teaching community but also corrode the respect children must hold for their guides.

We must remember: no nation can rise above the status of its teachers. To dishonour them is to weaken the moral compass of society itself. What our children need today is not suspicion toward their mentors, but encouragement to learn values that transcend textbooks—hard work, empathy, discipline, and respect.

It is time, therefore, for society to stand with its teachers, not against them. Let us celebrate them as the sculptors of our collective future, and let us ensure that the sacred bond of trust between student and teacher remains untouched, unbroken, and unshaken.

Only then can schools remain what they are meant to be—the second home where children are nurtured not just to make a living, but to make a life.