CHANGING STUDENT – TEACHER RELATIONSHIP IN CONTEMPORARY INDIAN SOCIETY

Abstract

21st Century has ushered an era of knowledge based societies making knowledge the main instrument of carving our future prospects. Information explosion and the fast paced social and technological changes have necessitated a world - wide debate over conventional mechanisms of educating the society, virtually scrapping most of the age old philosophies and practices of teaching and learning. The fall out of this phenomenon has significantly touched the relationship between a devout teacher and a dedicated pupil that had hitherto enjoyed the highest esteem in all human societies. As per the Indian traditions a ‘Guru’ is positioned even higher than God, because only a Guru reveals God to man. This pure and inspirational relationship has morphed in many ways, thanks to the new ways in which modern knowledge societies have started conducting their affairs in educating their masses. India, like most of the countries, is now concerned with making its education system more encompassing, flexible, qualitatively enriched and amenable to customization. Educational methodologies are now becoming learner-centric and collaborative. Teachers are no longer expected to be the store houses of knowledge, rather, they are now expected to be able to guide learning experiences and create conducive learning environments for students. Information technology has made the student-teacher relationship more impersonal while the narrowing age difference between students and teachers, especially in higher education, has diminished the aura of a conventional Guru to a more casual plane. Modern education is also not un-touched by commercial considerations. Brands of educational institutions are no longer driven explicitly by the reputation of its teachers but, are also largely dependent on the infrastructure, technology and the comfort facilities afforded to the students. It is disturbing to note that certain class of students that is mostly pampered by its affluent background, or is misguided by the power of political aggregations, has reduced the status of teachers to employees of schools and colleges meant to serve the students. Privatization of education has forced a multi-role personality on teachers who are now getting loaded with extra-academic responsibilities that considerably dilutes the true spirit of their relationship with students. In India, the role of teachers has yet to find a firm footing in the evolving educational landscape. Yet, its criticality to the future of this country and the society cannot be overstated. Modern times are trying for both students and teachers in our country, and a strong and healthy fabric of student-teacher relations is absolutely essential for the benefit of all our posterity.