For a nation endowed with a rich history of accomplished academicians and poignant social thinkers, our treatment of teachers is unacceptable. This isn’t shocking news either; various committees consisting of teachers around the country have raised their objection against the negligence they witness from the government as well as school administrations. It’s a Pandora’s box: insufficient wages, nepotism that values connections over merit, lack of governmental assistance, political turmoil, the list goes on. The ramification of this perpetual erosion of the education system of Pakistan is evident in the waning interest of students. And you can’t blame them.
This is why the meeting held by the National Teachers’ Conference is important. Teachers hailing from all the way up in Gilgit-Baltistan down to Balochistan made a point to attend the conference to raise awareness about the collective issues teachers face in Pakistan. Many reported that administrations have taken it upon themselves to appoint people of their own preference based on personal links instead of promoting teachers according to merit. This has consequently affected the performance and the academic turnout of pupils in countless schools. Furthermore, teachers from areas suffering political violence stated that poor law and order has affected every single aspect of life for people including education. Many teachers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have lost their lives after joining polio eradication campaigns.
The onus of protecting and enhancing education and teachers in the country lies on the government. These aren’t just any people; they invest a considerable amount of their energy and time in raising and improving student lives. Tall claims and fancy promises serve no one. Whether they like it or not, once our politicians appoint themselves as so-called guardians of the state, civilians deserve every right to know why something as basic and primary as the right to education is undergoing such rapid deterioration.