By Dr. Abdul Sattar
Recently, the Punjab Education Minister made a sweeping statement that “government school teachers steal fans & taps from schools.” While accountability is essential for individuals, it is unfair to judge an entire profession by the actions of a few.
Teachers are the most important builders of any nation. They work with limited resources yet shape every doctor, engineer, civil servant, and leader. Nations are not built by infrastructure alone; they are built by educated citizens—and teachers are at the heart of that process.
Our tradition upholds this dignity. The Holy Prophet Hazarat Muhammad (PBUH) said, “I have been sent as a teacher.” Hazrat Ali (RA) stated, “He who taught me even a single word has made me his slave.”
A country cannot become a knowledge economy while undermining those who educate its people. Respect for teachers is an investment in the future.
Seven practical steps can help restore teacher dignity:
1. Separate the Few from the Many
Act against the guilty, but do not tarnish the whole community.
2. Return Teachers to the Classroom
End surveys, campaigns, and election duties. Teaching must be the only job of teachers.
3. Retrain and Grow Careers
Provide continuous training and merit-based promotions.
4. Ensure Fair Pay and Timely Salaries
Financial stress destroys classroom focus.
5. Protect from Humiliation and Interference
Celebrate teachers and shield them from politics and transfers.
6. Fix School Infrastructure
No teacher can teach with dignity in broken schools without water, toilets, or books.
7. Include Teachers in Policy Making
Only classroom teachers know real problems. Bureaucrats who never taught often comment on hearsay, not ground realities. No reform works without the implementer’s voice.
A nation cannot strengthen its future by weakening teachers. If we want progress, we must restore respect for those who educate our children. The day we stop honouring teachers is the day we stop investing in our future.
