Whose onus is it ?

The noble profession of teaching has seen the winds of change and the metamorphosis involves a gradual change in the image ranging from almighty to ‘just a teacher’. From time immemorial, a teacher is revered to the maximum extent and considered next to the divine. But, the present perception and reality is a matter of concern.

This transition is the result of many factors- tremendous increase in the number of students and their expectations, to name a few. Apart from these, privatization of education has ushered in a new era with its pros and cons to discuss with. The need of the hour is quantification and ramification of education to every possible outlet. Government is practically not able to provide and manage education to everybody. Thus, here creeps in the role of private players and thus their entry brings in lots of terms and conditions to deal with. For the private sector, the ultimate motif is profit maximization, be it in any field. Here, the service providers are the universities and colleges where this service of education is offered by teachers and the ‘customers’ are the students who have certain expectations and outlook regarding their career, placements being the main. So, satisfying the customers is what the prime concern for the service providers is. This changes the whole equation of the scenario. The expectance, deliverance everything changes as per requirement.

So, amidst all these changes it is often debated as to whose onus is it to deliver academic excellence and overall fruitful result. Needless to say, it is the combined efforts of faculty and students and a perfect dovetailing of their understanding which brings in success. But often it is observed that either parties have a unsaid feeling or resentment about each other. The efforts and preparedness of the students is always a question tagged with his least interest in studies. Actually it is the students who should be interested to grab the knowledge and clear their doubts as they are ones who are to use and apply that wherever required. The faculty is ready most of the time to share his knowledge and distribute from his pool of thoughts. So, the onus is on the information seeker.

Bhartrihari Pandiya
Rs178@iiita.ac.in