The Silent Struggle : When We Will Stand Up For Our Teachers ?
Teacher are not just professionals. They are nation -Builders, life -shapers, and quiet warriors who carry the hopes of entire generations . Yet in many parts of India , especially in Uttar Pradesh (UP) ,teachers are treated as if they are nothing more than names on an attendance register - forgotten , unheard and disrespected. One of the most heartbreaking examples of this is the policy that forces teachers to attend schools during summer Vacations ,even when classroom are empty and students are safely at home.
Why are we
pushing teachers to sit in lifeless rooms, day after day, when the very purpose
of education—students—are not present? What are we
trying to prove by enforcing such meaningless routines? A Policy That Forgets
Humanity Uttar Pradesh faces scorching
heat during May and June. Schools are closed to protect children from the
dangerous temperatures, yet teachers are still ordered to report, with no meaningful work to perform.
Most government schools lack even the basic
infrastructure.
There are no air conditioners. Many have broken fans or none
at all. Teachers are made to sit for
hours in these sweltering buildings, risking heatstroke and exhaustion—not to
teach, not to grow, but simply to "mark presence." How can such a system
claim to value education when it shows so little value for educators?
Teachers: The Most
Neglected Guardians of Our Future
In reality, teachers in UP are being stretched to their
limits.
They are expected to:
• Teach in overcrowded classrooms.
• Take on non-teaching responsibilities like elections,
surveys, and census work.
• Manage underfunded schools with crumbling infrastructure.
• Work through salary delays and poor administrative support.
While other government departments enjoy timely benefits and
allowances, teachers are left behind. They are
called on to serve the country in every way possible, but when it's time to support
them, the system turns its back.
Where Are the Teacher Unions?
Perhaps the most painful betrayal comes from where teachers
expected protection—their own unions. There is a
growing feeling among teachers that the unions are no longer fighting for them.
Many believe unions now serve the government's agenda, not the teachers'.
When teachers ask:
• Who will raise our concerns?
• Who will fight for humane working conditions?
• Who will protect us from meaningless and punishing policies?
There is only silence.
If unions won't stand for
teachers, who will?
Is This a System That Cares
About Teachers?
It's time we ask ourselves honestly:
• Why are we treating teachers
like this?
• Why are we ignoring their
physical and mental health?
• Why are we blind to their silent
suffering?
When a system forces teachers into empty schools during
dangerous heatwaves, ignores their basic rights, and leaves their voices
unheard—it's not hard to see that it is becoming an anti-teacher system. And when teachers are broken, demotivated, and
burnt out—it's not just teachers who suffer. It's our children. It's our future.
What Needs to Change
• Stop forcing teachers to
attend schools during summer vacations when there is no essential work.
• Unions must return to their
true purpose: protecting teachers and demanding fair, respectful policies.
• Provide safe, comfortable,
and dignified working conditions.
• Pay teachers on time. Give
them rest. Offer them opportunities for meaningful professional growth.
• Use vacations for optional
training, curriculum development, or online community engagement—not to check a
box.
A Call for Humanity
Teachers are human beings.
They have families. They have health needs. They deserve the same empathy and
protection that we so quickly extend to others. When we disrespect teachers, we disrespect the
soul of education. Let us
remember: It is the teacher who stands quietly behind every doctor, every engineer,
every leader, and every success story. If we truly care about the future, we must stand
up for our teachers today.
-Gaurav
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