We live in a conflict zone where every aspect of our life isunpredictable. The future is often unclear, and hope is scarce. We live eachday as it comes. Our children continue to suffer from extreme levels ofviolence year after year. And we adults continue to fail them. We, teachers andparents, need to wake up from this slumber as our children and young adults aremore dependent than ever on the stability, protection and a learningenvironment that the schools and colleges can provide.
Every aspect of education inherently shields the future ofour children. The sense of self worth that comes from being identified as astudent and a learner, the provision of adult supervision, the access to astructured & ordered schedule, opportunities for self-expression and thechance to connect with peers is so important for the mental and emotionalgrowth of a student. It gives them a sense of normalcy, encouraging them tomaintain hope and pursue their aspirations.
Although the state has witnessed an increase in the numberof educational institutions at various levels, there is a dark side to thestory. Frequent shutdowns and unlimited official ‘Offs’ have led to thedeterioration in the standard of education. Consequently, these institutionsfunction erratically and education is left with huge ‘gaps’. Given the scenarioand the circumstances, can the administration afford to extend the wintervacations? We have had enough of them!
In order to destroy a nation, one doesn’t require bulletsand pellets alone. If supressing means ‘ reducing the potential of people to befully human’, then the worse form of supression is destruction of oureducational system. Although ‘invisible’, it is more real and dangerous. I wasnine when this armed conflict began. It’s been thirty years! We have sufferedenough for the lack of a resolution to the existing conflict. The situationseems to be a never ending one. Our concerns should be more immediate. Withunlimited ‘interruptions’ in the academic session, our children are beingrobbed of a better future. This is a message that our educational planners andadministration needs to be constantly reminded of.
Unless there’s an explicit and immediate response to addressthe crisis, our education system will continue to underserve the future oflearners. Our Teachers’ Associations need to stand up against any regressiveorder that is hostile to our students. To protect this basic right of students,we need to demand that educational institutions should be shielded in the sameway as health care facilities are. Because both these institutions cater to themost vulnerable population in any society. We need to create a world whereeveryone who dreams of learning and teaching, can do so with dignity andwithout any fear. This shared ambition needs a shared vision, collaboration andcooperation of all the stakeholders. We have already lost enough and can’tsacrifice yet another generation to the ‘Game of Thrones’. This is the Plea ofa helpless mother and an even more a helpless teacher….
Rehana Bhat is Senior Assistant Professor in the Department of English Islamia College of Science & Commerce Srinagar
Rehana Bhat