Teaching is called a noble profession. In the views of many social reformers and educationists, it is the 'mother' of all professions. In that sense, teachers do a great job. They work for the nation. The importance and respect of those who contribute to the children becoming good people is above all and the highest. Bill Gates naturally said, “Technology is just a tool. Teachers are most important in getting children to work together and motivating them.” In this way, the nobleness of the teaching profession and the esteem of the teachers are universally recognised.

They are called fine craftsmen of nation-building. They subtly illuminate our minds and help us develop our perceptions. World Teachers' Day is celebrated across the country on 5 October every year, to recognise their honour.  But, this is just a formal event. The teachers' respect should be observed in their hearts as well.

Teachers are our educational parents. To get respect is their right.  They are honoured for their contribution to national development and human resource development. Teachers have always been respected in all societies because of the work they do to develop and nurture young people. When a child enters the school premises, teachers assume the role of parents and mentors. It is not an easy task to look after so many children in a classroom and understand their minds at the same time. As children come from different family backgrounds and upbringings, teachers have a great responsibility to try to understand them and respond to their needs in the classroom.

Teachers in their charge mould our young delicate minds and give beautiful shapes. They have to be trained to identify the talents and skills hidden in every child and utilise them for the benefit of the child. These great teachers also do this work. The education system is the future of a country. Its formulation and implementation mainly depend on the teachers’ community. So, we must honour them for their tireless work. For their welfare, especially those serving in remote areas of the country, it is not enough to express our love verbally. It is our responsibility to ensure their social status, economic prosperity, state appreciation, humane treatment and overall security.

Needless to say, the disrespect and abuse of Bangladeshi teachers are often reported in our newspapers and social media, which is very saddening and disgraceful. They are often neglected in their habitat, livelihood, and social status; and they often find themselves in precarious situations. In Bangladesh, teachers are grossly discriminated against. Due to the way they are socially stigmatised, respect for teachers is also neglected by students. This is quite disappointing and quite insulting.

In addition, teachers have to face various challenging situations in their careers. The biggest challenge is dealing with parents. Some parents sometimes behave very aggressively with teachers. There are others, who give unspoken advice to the teacher on how he or she should do his or her work. On the other hand, many officials of the institution's managing committee or education administration also misbehave with teachers and sometimes speak disrespectfully to them.

In this way, due to the loss of dignity of teachers at various levels of society, it also creates an adverse reaction among students. As a result, in some cases, students also tend to behave disrespectfully with teachers. They forget that the teachers are the illuminating lights of their lives. If we accept teaching as a noble profession, then why are we reluctant to give them their due respect and fair rights they deserve?

It is often seen that many people, who have become famous personalities at national and international levels, were inspired by their teachers. So, we cannot deny that the respect of teachers was and will always be there. So, we must have some practice of honouring them. I find the following ways very effective in showing respect and appreciation towards teachers. We can meet teachers and exchange greetings and pray for them in their absence. We can show them the respect they deserve by building our lives in the light of their teachings and advice.

We can show our teachers that we value them by respecting and obeying them. We can anchor ourselves in the memory of our teachers by applying the lessons we receive from them. There is no greater honour for teachers than when we master them. This proves that teachers are doing a great job for us. By mastering their teaching skills and showing good performance in their careers, I can show them respect. We may occasionally dedicate a book or article to them. If we commit ourselves to creative practice and publish any of our writings, we can dedicate it to them. This is a great way to thank them.

We can urge the policymakers to set a better pay structure for our teachers. We can even do something for their welfare if we have the ability. But if they can be given a higher scale according to their rank, it is their best honour to benefit them. Economic prosperity is the right of teachers. Especially, if we can apply their lessons in our lives, it is a gift of great joy for them. We can honour our teachers by writing rhymes, poems, songs, essays, or books on the occasion of the World Teachers’ Day. Teachers often spend their own money to provide teaching materials in our educational life.

They spend their valuable time and energy while educating us. If we can earn in our professional life, we can stand beside those teachers who are financially insolvent. They would feel very honoured then. To give due respect to our teachers we can take up the teaching profession as our careers.

After all, we are eternally indebted to our teachers. They work hard to educate us and make us good people. Teachers in the teaching profession have to work for long hours even before entering a class to make sure that everything is well-prepared for the class. They even have to spend a lot of time after a class on checking and grading notebooks and diaries. In this profession, they have to work tirelessly throughout their lives and play a responsible role. Australian author Helen Caldicott precisely said, “Teachers are the most responsible and important members of society. Because their professional efforts influence the destiny of the world”. Therefore, it is our moral duty to respect the teachers' community who devote themselves to the development of efficient human resources.

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The writer is a Lecturer, Rajshahi Cantonment Public School and College. Email: [email protected]