Belief that matters 

 Belief that matters 

I recently had an opportunity to interact with a large number of teachers. What struck me the most, was the belief that most of them have… "These children cannot study" This is expressed in different ways. "Children come to school to avail the facilities provided by the government" 

Teachers who are a little considerate shift the burden to the parents and pardon the students. "They learn what they see their parents do"

In their approach and disposition, they despise the students. There are few who try to patronize. In their approach, teaching is an act of benevolence and what they do is a favour. In none of these approaches, there is any sign of professionalism. 

I think training programs have a limited impact unless we start thinking seriously about the belief system that most of our teachers uphold. Well, they also know that such beliefs are not to be demonstrated in public as the policy doesn't support them. 

Change in the belief system is not an easy task. However, one can try to bring a change. How can we bring a change in the belief system of the teachers? I do not have a ready-made answer. Educators and administrators need to think seriously in this context. Pedagogic training is superficial unless we work upon the belief system of the teachers.

Many researchers have identified a class difference between teachers and students in the government school system. If one observes carefully, there is a tradition of showing distrust towards the people belonging to the groups lower in the hierarchy of class. This can also be linked to a culture created by the industrial revolution. It was a phenomenon where workers were excluded from the profit that the companies were making. The introduction of the assembly line system was the culmination of converting workers into a part of machines. Workers were held accountable for the work they were assigned and did not understand the overall impact or structure of the work. This requires a strict culture of supervision and distrust.

After a successful demonstration of this administrative technique, it was adopted in different departments. One can easily notice how in an administrative position people in superior positions distrusts their subordinates. Educational research has often identified government teachers as the last rung on the long bureaucratic chain. If we extend it one step further, it's students who are the last rug in this long chain. The culture of distrust is extended to them.

Some people believe that this is the difference in the class structure that has put students at a disadvantage in the government school system. In an elite private school, if students do not learn they cannot be held responsible. The responsibility is fixed with teachers and its teachers who are distrusted. The class position is different here. Often students come from the higher classes, teachers are either from their class or at least a class lower in the hierarchy. People in the higher class have the power and authority to distrust.

Does the solution lie in changing the class structure? Not really, however, we should actively promote accepting students from diverse backgrounds at the same time we have to identify the appropriate intervention to work upon the belief system of the teachers.