USA SAYS; NO TEACHER’S DAY
USA SAYS; NO TEACHER’S DAY
World Teacher’s
Day is celebrated every year on 5th October to honor teachers and pay
tribute to their contribution in the development of education. It was first held
in 1994 at the initiative of UNESCO. More than 100 countries celebrate the day.
Appreciating, assessing and improving the educator and to consider issues
related to teachers and teaching. But USA says; No Teacher’s Day!
The theme of 2018 is “The right to
education means the right to qualified teacher”. This right cannot be achieved without
the right to trained and qualified teachers. The teacher’s personal domain as
well as professional domain must be enriched to acquire good results as there
are 264 million children out of school globally including 20 million in
Pakistan. The teacher’s scarcity and teacher’s inaccessibility is quite vivid
among vulnerable population; female students, disable children, refugees, poor
children, children living in remote areas, mountainous region and desert areas.
It can only be attained if teacher’s quality and quantity and quotient per student
must be uplifted to quench the thirst of education. Apart from giving the dose
of acknowledgment and adequate appreciation is essential to boost the morale of
educator to extract best of his abilities and potentials. Appreciation is the
medicine that can heal the wound of this ailing community especially in third
world countries. Aristotle has rightly said: “Those who educate children well
are more to be honored than they who produce them; for these only gave them life,
those, the art of living well”. In similar tone, Aristotle’s student Alexander
the Great spoke “I am indebted to my father for living but to my teacher for
living well”.
Teaching is a very noble profession that moulds
the character, educate the mind, inject the moral values, unravel the hidden
potential; sow the seed of motivation; develop creativity, accelerate the
progress, cultivate the power of self-control and pave the way for progress of student,
then society and ultimately state. This enables a nation to stand on its feet,
make progress and give pride in the comity of nations. Does not he deserve to
be praised, appreciated and honored? But USA says; No Teacher’s Day!
In USA, no teacher day is celebrated
rather Teacher’s appreciation Week is celebrated. It all begin in 1944 when
Mattye Whyte Woodridge, a teacher from Arkansas, floated an idea of celebrating
teacher’s day and put his views before educationist and political leaders. Woodridge
wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt and explained his idea and advocated to celebrate Teacher’s
Day to honor teacher and to appreciate them. Roosevelt in 1955 persuaded
congress to proclaim the day to appreciate teachers. There was still a long way
ahead and Woodridge’s idea was finally materialized when congress declared
March 7, 1980 to be National Teacher’s Day for that year only. Later the date
of event moved to first full week of May as “Teacher’s Appreciation Week”. For the
whole week, activities are carried out to pay homage to pedagogue. That is why, But USA says; No Teacher’s Day!
Instead, it goes for gala of the entire week.
USA
is yet to take another bold step towards education sector by launching the Open
World University, offering education to over 100 Million students all around
the world. Provided the free education at home, and handing over an
International American graduation degree by the end of course. So far, 7,000
teachers from all around the universities in USA, including the Harvard
University have offered to volunteer in this university, and more are expected
to lay down their service in future. It seems that USA is now saying NO to
Teacher’s Week and heading towards; Teacher’s Appreciation Year.
It is also part of Teacher’s Day to
assess oneself. Where are we standing in education? With literacy rate
declining from 60 to 58%; 20 million out of school children; 2.5% GDP spending
on education; teacher focusing more on salary instead of studies; cumbersome
curriculum and so on. Can we struggle to build a stereotype system like USA to
launch an Open University with volunteer to run it and move to remote areas to
impart education once a weak and in summer and winter vacation; to prove old idiom;
schoolmaster is abroad? As far as
quality of teaching is concerned, William Arthur Ward has classified teachers into
four categories: “The mediocre teacher tells; the good teacher explains; the
superior teacher demonstrates; the great teacher inspires “Now it is up to
teachers to find in which category, they fall. Follow Brad Henry’s formula; a
good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of
learning.
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