Teachers then and now

By any standards teaching is a noble profession. It is a vocation as well as a profession. You decide to become a teacher because that is a way of life such as nursing or priesthood.

However, what happens today is quite deplorable. Young people want to become teachers only when they are unable to find any other job. As a result, they do not put their heart and soul into their work. Finally not only the teachers but also their students become a frustrated lot.

Let us have a look at the origins of teaching in the West. The Greek philosophers and the Hebrew prophets were the two groups of teachers in the ancient world. However, western education is based on Greek methodology rather than the Hebrew methods of teaching.

If you go back to the fifth century B.C., you come across a group of Greek teachers called “Sophists.” They were greatly admired for their philosophy although sophists themselves were not great teachers.

They claimed to know many subjects and they knew the art of impressing students. They rejected the traditional methods of teaching and introduced new ways of imparting knowledge. With all their weaknesses they managed to make students respect the teacher.

We find descendants of sophists even in Sri Lanka. These modern-day sophists are well-dressed lecturers who flaunt various diplomas and degrees. They visit many parts of the island and deliver lectures to unsuspecting students.

To cover up their lack of knowledge they distribute colourful booklets, file covers, CDs and cassettes in addition to neatly produced tutorials. Students in large numbers flock to these classes and listen to lectures in rapt attention.

In the so-called “spoken English” classes they repeat what the lecturer says and think they are learning a language. The simple word “sir” is used as a formal or polite way of addressing a man. When you walk into a shop the shopkeeper would say, “Good morning, Sir. Can I help you?” It is also used to address a male teacher. In formal letters we use “Dear Sir” when we do not know the name of the recipient.

Meanwhile “Sir” is a title used before the first name of a knight. We have our own Sir John Kotelawala. Sri Lankan sophists have gone a step further and added “Sir” at the end of their names! So we have a host of lecturers known to students simply as “Rajapakshe Sir,” “Bulumulla Sir” and “Ranaweera Sir.”

When students find that they cannot speak or write five grammatically correct sentences after learning English for 13 years at school, they rush to lecturers who promise to teach the language in a week! Some lecturers teach English absolutely without writing which is a very important component of any language.

While sophists were roaming the country and delivering lectures to packed audiences in large auditoriums. Socrates was walking along the streets of Athens questioning his fellowmen.

Unlike sophists he was not well dressed and he did not charge for his teaching. Although Socrates came from a working class family, he knew the art of convincing people. He feigned ignorance and made his pupils explain their ideas.

Due to his laborious process of teaching Socrates had only a few pupils. His best pupil was Plato who lived from 427-347 B.C. He also became a teacher and established his own academy to impart his knowledge. Plato was a rich nobleman and he did not want to teach every Dick, Tom and Harry. So he carefully selected his students.

Plato’s teaching shows the enormous influence he had from Socrates. He too followed the Socratic method of teaching through calm reasoning. Plato was an idealist who believed in a world of form where everything was perfect. For him all worldly things were imperfect imitations.

Then came the next great teacher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) who happened to be a doctor’s son. When he came to Plato’s Academy he was just 17. He remained there until he was 40. Aristotle left the Academy when Plato died. After travelling a lot and doing independent research, he too established a school in line with Plato’s Academy. It was called ‘Lyceum.’

Aristotle was more organized than Plato. Soon Lyceum became a research institute. He did experiments in biology and wrote political essays analysing the constitution. However, he did not personally write these essays. They had been written by his pupils who followed his lectures. He was perhaps the first teacher who combined lectures with classroom discussions.

Aristotle also taught in the streets like Socrates. He would teach his philosophy while walking in a relaxed manner. Even today some teachers think it is an effective method of teaching. What is remarkable is Aristotle believed that knowledge was a constant process of discovery and change.

Jesus Christ was the next in line in the great tradition of teachers of the western world. He differed from the Greek philosophers and taught in the tradition of the Biblical prophets. He knew Hebrew literature and law.

He even discussed Hebrew law with his teacher when he was just 12. He taught his 12 pupils selected from ordinary occupations. It was these pupils who established the Christian churches when Jesus Christ was crucified.

Unlike sophists, Jesus taught the general public. He also talked to small groups of people. He impressed his listeners as an original thinker but not as a sophisticated lecturer. Instead of delivering long lectures, he gave the people positive advice to enrich their lives.

He spoke very slowly with long pauses so that people could remember his teachings easily. He gave many examples and sometimes remained silent. When some men wanted to know his opinion on killing a woman found to be unfaithful to her husband, he said, “The man among you who is without sin is to throw the first stone at her.”

From the 14th-16th centuries there was a great revival of education in the ancient world. During this renaissance period teachers were looked up to as “universal minds” because they knew many subjects well. What is happening today is quite different. Even when a good teacher is willing to teach most students do not want to learn.

During the 19th and 20th centuries many schools and colleges were put up to impart education. Many leading teachers appeared in several countries. However, their teaching methods were quite different from those of Socrates or Plato.

For instance, Fustel de Coulanges of France refused to listen to his students unless they could provide substantial evidence for their arguments. American philosopher and historian James Harvey Robinson wanted his students to go through the original records of previous centuries rather than reading books.

The situation prevailing in schools and universities is far from satisfactory. Parents are not happy with how subjects are taught in schools. So they send their children to private tuition classes. Learning and teaching were pleasurable activities in the not too distant past.

In the 1940s and 1950s teachers would ask their students to stay after school for extra classes. These were held free of charge. With the open economy and the spiralling cost of living teachers cannot be expected to teach after school free of charge.

However, some teachers do not teach properly in school and ask their students to come home for private tuition. Thus, when you think of teachers then and now, you see a distinct change in methodology, ethics and attitude towards teaching and students. I feel that we need a new breed of teachers who are willing to follow in the footsteps of the great masters of the ancient world.