Times have changed. Times are changing, yet some us still continue to live in the old times as far as values are concerned. So, when you hear that parents are the CUSTOMERS and the schools are the service providers and they must ensure customer satisfaction, it is difficult to digest, leave alone assimilating it.
Coming to customer satisfaction, it can have connotations. If it means providing good teaching, ensuring just and fair behaviour to children, and facilitating an atmosphere that leaves no room for complaints, then it is contributory to the process of producing good citizens. But there is a chance that in the effort to satisfy the parent-customers, principles and values will be thrown to the wind and mindless compromises will be made in the form of individual favours and unfairness undermining the age-old principles of teaching and learning and we will be raising small monsters instead of responsible citizens with human values. Children are far more communicative with parents today and they come to know of everything happening around them. The fear is that they will start taking deviation as something normal and will grow up to propagate such irresponsible behaviour.
When expansion and growth become the prime motive and there is cut throat competition in the educational sphere, compromises are often made. In today’s world, survival has become the prime issue and even learned and intelligent people close their eyes to the violation of a moral code which is instrumental in contributing to a corrupt society. Something good cannot be born of a compromise.
It’s a changing world and we cannot expect our children to be pupils of ancient times who worshiped their teachers and sacrificed important things for the sake of principles. The equation between a teacher and a student is also undergoing transformation. A teacher is no more an awe-inspiring Godhead for the students. The reason is pretty simple to understand. Earlier, the teacher not only imparted knowledge, he or she also moulded the character of the children. The parents thought it improper to interfere in the functioning of a teacher and put their trust in him or her. In today’s world they are merely service providers. The parents, most of them, understand knowledge in numbers and percentage. Their attitude often affects the student-teacher –parent relationship in a negative way and it affects the equation between the administration and the staff of an educational institution too. A teacher is torn between raising the level of understanding and application in the students and sometimes has to evaluate them according to the expectation of the parents. As punishment is banned there is little fear in the mind of the children and it often leads to in-disciplinary attitude and improper behaviour.
The question is, instead of being drawn into the sea of commercialism, can’t educational institutions create their own standard by motivating and forcing the parents to understand the real meaning of teaching and learning? Instead of giving in, cannot they stand for something? Do we real want turn this world into such a place where we will be uncomfortable to live in, because our instinctive nature is divine. If the demands of the external world weigh heavy, cannot we keep our steadfastness in keeping it a bit sensitive, a bit moral and a bit conscientious?
