There was a time when a teacher entering the classroom was enough to bring an entire room to silence. A blackboard, a piece of chalk, an attendance register and a teacher.
For generations, that was the familiar picture of a classroom. A teacher was not simply someone who taught mathematics, science, language or history. In many families, teachers were treated almost like members of the family. Their advice was respected, their discipline was accepted and their presence was trusted.
The classroom today looks very different.
The blackboard has increasingly been replaced by smartboards and interactive panels. Textbooks now share space with smartphones, tablets, online resources and artificial intelligence. Information that once required hours in a library can now be found within seconds.
But has the teacher’s role really changed? The tools have changed. The responsibility has not. A teacher still stands before young people who are learning not only from books, but also from the behaviour of the adults around them. A teacher can encourage a child who lacks confidence, recognise talent that others overlook and sometimes become the first person outside the family to notice that something is wrong. That is why Teachers’ Day should be more than speeches, flowers and social-media messages.
Across Jammu and Kashmir, many teachers continue to work in difficult circumstances. Some serve in remote and mountainous areas, travelling long distances to reach their schools. Others work with limited facilities and large responsibilities. There are teachers who stay after school to help struggling students, arrange support for children from poor families and quietly encourage those who may otherwise give up on their education. Their contribution deserves to be recognised. But genuine respect for the teaching profession also requires accountability.
The recent tragedy reported from Kishtwar has brought this uncomfortable question into focus. A minor girl died after an alleged sexual assault and pregnancy. A government-school teacher, who was also serving as an in-charge headmaster, was arrested along with others in connection with the case. The investigation was subsequently taken over by the Crime Branch.
The allegations are extremely serious. The investigation and judicial process must determine what happened and who is responsible. No allegation should be treated as a conviction before the law has taken its course.
But there is another side to the tragedy that goes beyond the legal proceedings. A child goes to school believing that the adults around her are there to teach and protect her. What happens when that trust is allegedly betrayed?
That question is difficult, but it cannot be avoided.
A school should be a place where a child feels safe enough to learn, ask questions and seek help. A teacher occupies a position of authority and trust, and that position comes with a special responsibility to maintain professional boundaries and protect the dignity of every student.
At the same time, it would be unfair to allow the alleged actions of an individual to define an entire profession.
Jammu and Kashmir has thousands of teachers who perform their duties honestly every day. They should not be viewed with suspicion because of the alleged conduct of someone else.
The answer, therefore, is neither blind trust nor blanket suspicion. It is accountability.
A teacher deserves respect and protection from false or malicious allegations. A student deserves safety and the confidence that a genuine complaint will be heard. Both can, and must exist together.
This is perhaps one of the important differences between the classroom of yesterday and the classroom of today.
In the past, a teacher’s authority was rarely questioned. Today, we understand that authority also requires responsibility. Respect cannot mean silence, and accountability should not mean disrespect.
If we are willing to invest in smart classrooms, digital education and modern learning tools, we should be equally serious about the safety of children.
Schools need effective mechanisms through which students can report concerns without fear. Teachers and school staff need regular awareness and training on child protection and professional conduct. Complaints involving children should be dealt with promptly, confidentially and fairly.
But the responsibility does not rest only with teachers or schools.
Society also needs to recognise how demanding teaching has become. Teachers are expected to teach, maintain records, perform administrative duties, adapt to new technologies and respond to changing expectations from parents and institutions.
Their work cannot be valued only once a year, on September 5.
So, this Teachers’ Day, let us celebrate the teacher who stays after the bell to help a struggling student.
Let us remember the teacher who notices when a quiet child needs encouragement.
Let us recognise those who continue teaching in places where resources are limited and challenges are many.
But let us also build an education system where no complaint from a child is ignored and where no teacher is judged guilty without due process.
The real strength of a school is not measured only by its examination results, smartboards or buildings, but by whether a child can enter classroom every morning feeling safe.
Technology will continue to change. Teaching methods will change. The classroom of tomorrow may look nothing like the classroom many of us remember.
But one thing should remain unchanged, the trust between a teacher and a student. Because a teacher is never entrusted merely with a syllabus. A teacher is entrusted with a life.
My heartfelt wishes to all my teachers and mentors who have guided, encouraged and inspired me throughout my journey.
The writer is founder ‘Student’s Guide Organisation for Educational Advancement’, Doda.
