The teaching profession

Years ago parents and teachers stayed away from each other and probably only met if something very serious happened. Parents looked after their kids at home - fed them, clothed them, disciplined them , gave them a place to stay and made them realize that school was a place to study, get educated and above all get disciplined for life ahead. For parents , a teacher was a guru - someone to listen to respect & learn from - teachers were held in awe and their word was law - no parent argued , disputed or doubted what the teacher said . The teacher was a trusted entity and many a parent gave the teacher full reign to discipline their ward and instill in him/ her values which were considered one of the primary reasons of sending them to a good school. When pupils left for school in the morning ,in my time ,here is what parents said to them Study hard. Listen to your teacher . Don't fight or trouble any one Complete your classwork Don't let me hear you were in trouble Look after your books and other belongings Eat your tiffin THINGS HAVE CHANGED - SO HAVE THE THINGS PARENTS TELL THEIR WARDS WHEN THEY LEAVE FOR SCHOOL. I watch parents seeing their kids off to school every morning. They wave and blow flying kisses as if the kid is off for a month long vacation . And listen to what they say these days. Bye/ Chill/ Enjoy yourself/ Have a good time . Nothing about study hard etc .......................!! Surprising isn't it ?? As for the requests/ demands/ comments .....................they are never ending . No wonder less and less people want to become teachers. READ BELOW- (HIM or HER ) some comments/ requests/ demands . 1 Can you see that he sits in the first row. He has eye problems ( Just an excuse most of the time ) 2. Please see that he completes his work as he is a bit slow. 3. Can you mail me his progress daily. 4. Can you call me every day/ every second day and just give me a brief about him 5 Please separate him from the boys he sits near/ plays with-they are a bad influence. 6. He has lost his pencil/ rubber - can you please trace it. Please check the lost property cupboard. 7. The class is full of thieves - what is happening these days to this school - my son looses stuff daily. 8. He must get a good role in the Annual concert if not he will be very depressed .Please don't make him a flower or an animal- he hates flowers and animals and we wont be able to recognize him .Besides his grandparents are also coming from India and they want to see him acting 9. See that he eats his tiffin - please can you rinse it before he comes home as the tiffin box smells bad . 10. He has left his tiffin at home - can you please give him some money for the canteen. 11. He is not well- send him home if you see him looking tired. 12. He is going for a wedding to India - can you mail me the homework everyday while we are away for 10 days . 13. If there is a notice - just give me a buzz / call as he does not tell me and I wont know 14. If there is going to be a surprise test can you tell me quietly so I can prepare him.I promise I will not tell him . 15. He is a bit slow so can he get more time in the test. 16. Can you put someone to see that he finishes his lunch and washes his hands. 17. Can he be in the same class as so and so- we are friends you see so it will be helpful as we meet every evening at the yoga class. 18. He is careless while packing his bag- can you please do it/ have it done by another kid. 19.Can you force him to play games in the afternoon as he is so lazy. 20. Remind him not to leave his spectacles on the table as someone will steal them . 21. Can you give 1 more mark as we have checked with friends and that boy got a mark while he did not. 22. Can there be special permission for ..................... a million things ! 23. I know you don't allow boys to go to the toilet but he has a weak bladder so he must go to the toilet every period . 24. Can he wear slip on shoes as he does not know how to tie his laces ( in grade 4 ) 25. I know the rule is shorts but he is shy to show his legs- can he wear trousers. 26. Please don't send him for singing/ dancing- against the religion/ tradition. 27 Can he wear a bracelet/ ring- it is for religious reasons 28. During the concert- Please don't put make up as my child gets rashes. 29 Concert- Please let me know what makeup is being used as her skin is sensitive so I will bring the make up from home and put it myself if you don't mind. 30 Please don't make him a girl in the play/ don't make her a boy - its degrading for a kid ( for goodness sake !!) 31.H is sharing his tiffin with others - he eats their food and they eat his - I don't know what he is eating. 32. My child wastes his food daily ( look into the tiffin and the teacher knows why - its insipid !) 33. Is there any way you can warm his tiffin as he hates cold food . 34 I would like to come in to school and see you as he is scared of your voice 35 My child feels threatened in class/ school. 36 There was a snake in the toilet - please se that this does not happen ( It never did ) 37. My son saw a cockroach on the wall - how can this happen in a good school like this. 38. There were flies when he was eating lunch and one sat on him and he felt dirty. 39.There was a slight smell in the toilet so all day she did not go . 40 Can you give 5 composition topics and then one out of those for the test so we can prepare her accordingly. 41. Can there be a practice test in advance . 42. The prefect shouted at my son/ daughter - he/ she felt insulted . 43. My kid was asked to lift the chair and put it on the desk before leaving ???? Is this needed . 44. My daughter got one star but the other kid got 2 stars ???????? Not fair - very demoralized . 45. You must do more things to encourage the kids ( stars/ sweets etc) 46. A man looked at my daughter when she was entering the bus- can you find out who this was . 47. Listen to this - Parent to teacher - I will leave small gifts in the class-every time my child does good work can you give him a gift . 48. Please don't send my child for PE - she cannot bear the heat ( In the cooler months ) 49. Please let my son carry his mobile phone to school as he needs in during pvt tuition . 50 Can you give a new date for his exams as he has to go on a pilgrimage / attend a wedding/ go to India for an engagement / attend a religious ceremony ( almost everyone plays up the religious angle) 51.Why do they have to cover the books with brown paper ?? 52. Other kids are using bad language and he is hearing it - now we are concerned it will affect him . 53. He / she is being bullied and is now terrified of coming to school 54. Can I sit in school all day as she has fever - so if needed I can take her home. 55. School starts at 7 40 - We need to drop her by 6. 30 as we go to work - can you arrange for someone to look after her in the morning for an hour every day - she must not be left alone ( sorry we cant do this ) 56.She is frightened of water and the swimming teacher forced her to put her head under water - this is cruelty and you must look into it . 57. The teacher criticized her work in front of everyone and said - YOU WONT PASS AT THIS RATE - those sort of remarks are unacceptable and I want to know what action will be taken against the teacher . 58. He was made to stand in the corner for 10 minutes and he felt humiliated ( He was beating up other kids in class ) 59. The teacher looked angrily at her - May I know why ?? ( She was eating in class that's why ) 60 What is wrong with eating in class ( can you believe that a parent would ask such a question ) 61. Pupils going on a trip to India so parents were asked to sign the normal undertaking so this is the remark - "I refuse to sign any undertaking that the school will not be held responsible in the eventuality of an accident etc"I do not accept accidents . 62. I have come to lodge a serious complaint as for the second year my child has not been selected for the tennis team .( he can hardly play ) 63.Can we discuss the criteria of making Prefects in the school- my son felt he would become Head boy and he is only a Prefect 64 There is a lot of favoritism in school these days ........you must take the teachers to task and be more strict . 65. Some teachers told my son he deserves to be punished ( worst behaved kid in school ) 66 Please don't send my son to the counselor he is NOT MAD ( He has ADHD ) 67 I refuse to have my son assessed by a Psychologist - this is insulting to my family ( He also has ADHD) Science - Commerce - Humanities stream election for grade 11 and 12 Grade 10 - Science / Commerce / Humanities stream selection in Grade 11- A pupil gets very low marks throughout grade 9 and ten / fails in Math / Science most of the time - the pupil is not offered science for grade 11 so here goes......... HE will feel disappointed He must be given science as we are both doctors/ engineers What will all our relatives think It is a disgrace in our society if her is given commerce She has wanted to become an engineer from the time she was in grade 5 All her friends have got science so why not her The system is faulty Can we see all pupils marks as we are sure something is wrong . Can the papers be rechecked - there has to be a mistake as she went for tuition throughout the year This is not fair - PLEASE DO something We wont leave till you give him science This is the end of the world for us I fear he may try and do something to himself as he is very disappointed Who will be to blame if something happens Sir you will be to blame if something drastic happens You are ruining his future We will complain to the higher authorities We will go to the press Who can we meet to get this changed . Sir- this is torture Sir he is totally devastated .He says he feels like ending his studies forever Why are we looking at his low marks- what about his capability. He is such a good footballer - PLEASE that also must be considered . He wants to be something in life and your not giving him science We will teach him/ send him for coaching for both years - we will monitor his work from now on She will make you proud if you give her just one chance .He/ she has promised to study hard in future . Why must there be a cut off ................ My wife is refusing to eat and is only crying once she got the news . I have cancelled all meetings to come and get science for my daughter I know YOU can do it Sir. She has been in the school for 10 years so how can you now tell us she wont get science . Her plan is to go to US for further studies so what is the use if she does not get Math now. There is no life with Commerce or Humanities - that is for dunces . Everyone is laughing at her as she never got science. We cant show our face outside our house now - our life is ruined . And then there are the tears and the sobs and the sniffles !!!!!!!! I could go on but I am sure you get the drift ..................... Amen !!