World Teachers Day

By Pascal Chimezie

Today is World Teachers' Day. It is held annually on 5 October. It is a day set aside to commemorate the anniversary of the adoption of the 1966 International Labour Organization (ILO)/UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers. The ILO/UNESCO Recommendation was adopted in Paris in 1994, which details sets of standard practices for the good of higher education and teaching personnel.

But who is a teacher?

"A teacher is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence or virtue. Informally the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone." Wikipedia has provided us with a working definition. A teacher is not only the person who taught you addition and subtraction, multiplication and division in a classroom. 

Parents are teachers. Work place bosses are teachers. Elders of the community are teachers. Priests and religious are teachers. Anyone who helps you to discover God and your purpose in life is also a teacher. One who helps to impact good moral virtues to you is a teacher. He is worthy of celebration. Celebrate him today. What they do might appear so little a contribution. But like a little yeast, it makes a dormant loaf rises. 

Ignorance is never a virtue. Yet, many would rather they die in ignorance. "My people perish for lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). Ignorance is a disease. It kills. Yet, the responsibility is not placed solely on the one who is ignorant. He who is in a position to teach, or to help, the ignorant get knowledge, but reneges has greater responsibility. That is the whole teaching of Ezekiel 18. 

Teachers often are not appreciated. 

They are looked down upon. Their knowledge is derided. Probably because they are not usually people of great "means." Majority of them languish in penury and poverty due to neglect. They struggle to make ends meet. In that mindset, when they teach, they do so with bitterness and resentment. "Obey your leaders and do what they say. They are watching over you, and they must answer to God. So don't make them sad as they do their work. Make them happy. Otherwise, they won't be able to help you at all" (Heb.13:17). Many a student has grown to become successful men and women in the society with their teachers remaining no more than a village drunk, or beer parlour pontificators! Everybody hails him derisively, 'Prof'!, 'Prof'!, 'Professor'!

Today in our society, there are many who lack knowledge. Many who are ignorant. Many who are illiterate. Illiteracy and ignorance go pari passu. One strengthens the other. The role of a teacher cannot be overemphasized. He has an onerous duty not only to update himself knowledgewise, but also to impart that knowledge, that something he has learned, unto others. It is called the "transfer process" of knowledge. When you teach, you strengthen what you know. 

When you teach, what you teach teaches you. 

That is the beauty of teaching. That is the joy of being a teacher. Not many are called to teaching. Many don't have the temperament. 

But the worse is a teacher who cannot be taught. A teacher who is too dogmatic. A teacher who believes in "as it was in the beginning, is now, ever shall it be, world without end." You must learn and unlearn! Many of us don't learn because we refuse to unlearn! When you unlearn, you make room for more learning. But when you find it difficult to unlearn, you become full! There will be no room for more. A wise man, Christ taught us, is that one who takes out old things from his storeroom and replaces it with new. 

“This means, then, that every teacher of the Law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of heaven is like a homeowner who takes new and old things out of his storage room" (Mat.13:52).

You must make room for new learning!

Today, is the World Teachers Day. All teachers should use the occasion to do introspection and reflect on their divine calling to teach. 

Happy teachers day!