‘The sanctity of teaching tarnished by the recent arrest of the minister’
‘The sanctity of teaching tarnished by the recent arrest of the minister’
In Bengal, the word mastermoshai — of late, gender-neutral, president-like — immediately conjures up the image of a stern-looking teacher — a storehouse of knowledge, commanding respect, always honest, and almost always leading a modest life. The paucity of funds is compensated by the lifelong gratitude expressed by the students and the pride that comes with the profession.
Pride is now a hit; The sanctity of teaching has been hurt by the recent arrest of Mr. Partha Chatterjee, who as Education Minister of West Bengal is accused of presiding over a scam in school recruitment. As more accusations mount – that the state had a price for almost everything in education when he was at the top – disillusionment in the teaching community is becoming increasingly apparent, with many serving teachers openly speaking out against the rot. are.
“I am ashamed, to say the least, how the then Education Minister has tarnished the entire education system in West Bengal”Krishnakoli RayHeadmaster, Dhakuria Sri Ramakrishna Vidyapeeth for Girls, Kolkata
“I am ashamed, to say the least, how the then Education Minister has tarnished the entire education system in West Bengal. In my entire life and academic career spanning almost 20 years, I have never seen a minister anywhere in the country getting involved in the education department like this,” said Ms. Headmistress of Dhakuria Sri Ramakrishna Vidyapeeth for Girls at Krishnakoli Ray, Kolkata.
“The saddest part is that this run (recovery of around Rs 50 crore from Mr Chatterjee’s aide) has put a big question mark on the accountability of the entire system. This money has apparently been collected from job seekers who have been allotted teaching posts in schools… It is a double whammy – on one hand a public representative has let down the entire state by his greed and lack of discretion, on the other. And it deprived the deserving youth of the employment they deserved,” said Ms. Ray.
blur on the halo
These days, it is not uncommon for teachers in Kolkata to hear sarcastic comments on their profession.
On Tuesday morning, an assistant professor, on his way to work, found a co-traveller on the train remarking, “Can we tell by looks that the teacher got the job because of merit or money?” The assistant professor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “The thing is, the co-traveller is a familiar face and knows I’m a teacher.”
This blot on the aura, and especially to prove to anyone that he didn’t bribe his job – is a new burden that many young teachers in the state are going to feel.
Urvi Mukhopadhyay, an associate professor of history at West Bengal State University, said: “I come from a family of three generations. mastermoshes , Since the 19th century, mastermoshai commanded utmost respect not only as educated members of the society, but also to be the guardians of future generations. I chose this profession because there was respect attached to it. I have personally visited the humble abode of great teachers from Sukumar Sen to Manabendra Bandyopadhyay – their homes were filled with books, their only asset. ,
According to him, it is the inspiration from these legends that drives him forward.