Mir Iqbal Hussain Chattergami
Every year on 5 September, we celebrate Teachers’ Day. Schools hold programmes, students greet their teachers and social media fills with messages of gratitude. For a day, we remember the people who taught us our first lessons and helped us find our way. But perhaps Teachers’ Day should also make us think about what a teacher really means to a society. There is an old story associated with Emperor Aurangzeb that offers an interesting lesson. It is said that after Aurangzeb became emperor, one of his former teachers approached him and asked for a position in his court. Aurangzeb reminded him that although he had been taught by him, he had not been prepared for the real responsibilities of being a ruler. The practical lessons of leadership, administration and dealing with difficult situations, he said, had been learned elsewhere.Whether the story is historically accurate or simply an old moral anecdote, the point is worth considering. A teacher’s job is not only to fill a student’s mind with information.
A teacher also has a role in preparing that student for the responsibilities that come with life. This is particularly important because the child sitting in a classroom today will become part of tomorrow’s society. Some will become doctors, engineers, scientists and administrators. Others will become teachers, farmers, business owners, journalists, parents and community leaders. Their knowledge will matter, but so will their character, judgement and attitude towards other people. This is where a teacher’s influence goes much deeper than the syllabus. Children watch their teachers. They notice how a teacher speaks to others, how fairly he treats students, how seriously he takes his responsibilities and how he responds when things go wrong. These everyday examples can sometimes teach more than a chapter in a textbook.
Before a teacher can inspire students to become responsible citizens, he must first become a role model himself—a living example of values, leadership, discipline and responsibility. Students are more likely to follow what they see in their teacher than what they merely hear from him. When a teacher conducts himself with integrity, treats everyone with respect and performs his duties sincerely, he quietly inspires students to develop the same qualities. A teacher who values honesty can encourage honesty. A teacher who respects nature can make students more conscious of the environment. A teacher who listens patiently can teach compassion without ever writing the word on a blackboard. For a place like Kashmir, the wider role of teachers deserves particular attention. We are facing environmental changes that cannot be ignored. Climate change is no longer a distant global issue discussed only in scientific reports. Its effects are increasingly visible in changing weather patterns, snowfall, water availability, agriculture and the natural environment. Water and soil pollution, waste, pressure on natural resources and the degradation of ecological spaces add to the concerns. The question is: Are we preparing our children to face this future?
The teacher has an important role here. Students should not learn about climate change merely as a definition to reproduce in an examination. They should understand what environmental change means for their own communities. They should be encouraged to think about water conservation, waste management, protection of forests and wetlands, responsible consumption and the consequences of environmental neglect. A teacher can turn environmental awareness into environmental responsibility. But the challenges before our young generation are not limited to the environment. The growing concern over the drug menace is particularly disturbing. Substance abuse can destroy health, education, families and the future of young people. Schools cannot remain disconnected from this reality.
“The future of Kashmir relies heavily on shaping responsible, resilient, and socially conscious students. While individual teachers shape young lives, their collective daily efforts transform the broader society and secure its future—making Teachers’ Day a vital opportunity to honor their far-reaching impact.”
Teachers need to create an atmosphere in which students can discuss pressures, fears and difficulties without feeling ashamed or isolated. Awareness, guidance and early support can make a difference. A teacher who notices a student’s sudden withdrawal, declining performance, behavioural changes or association with harmful influences may be able to initiate a conversation and, where necessary, involve parents, counsellors or appropriate professionals. The aim should not be to label or punish a struggling student, but to reach that student before it is too late. Another deeply troubling concern is the increasing discussion around youth mental-health difficulties and suicide cases. Every young life lost is not simply a personal tragedy; it leaves a permanent wound on families and communities. While teachers cannot replace mental-health professionals, they can play an important role in prevention by creating classrooms where students feel heard, respected and valued. Sometimes a student does not need a lecture. He or she needs someone to listen.
A caring teacher can notice when a normally active student becomes unusually quiet, when a student begins withdrawing from friends, or when academic and personal difficulties appear to be overwhelming them. A teacher can offer a listening ear, encourage the student to seek help and connect them with parents, counsellors or qualified professionals when needed. This is not about making teachers responsible for solving every mental-health problem. It is about recognising their unique position in a young person’s life. A teacher may be the first adult outside the family to notice that something is wrong. That opportunity should never be underestimated. The same principle applies to other social problems, including violence, crime, intolerance and growing social isolation among young people. Laws and institutions have their role, but prevention begins with values and education.
If we want to reduce these problems in the future, we must begin by strengthening the minds and character of young people today. That is why education cannot be reduced to marks and degrees. A student may score excellent marks and still lack empathy. Another may have a good degree but little sense of responsibility towards the community. Education should prepare young people not only to earn a livelihood but also to live responsibly among others. The influence of a teacher may not be immediately visible. A student may forget a particular lesson after a few years. He may forget an examination question. But he may remember a teacher who believed in him, treated him fairly, encouraged him during a difficult time or taught him to look at a problem differently. Years later, that small influence may appear in the way he treats his family, performs his work or contributes to his community.
So, on 5 September, while we celebrate our teachers, perhaps we should also recognise the responsibility society places on them. The future of Kashmir will depend not only on roads, buildings, technology and economic development. It will also depend on the kind of people we raise—people who understand their responsibilities, care about their surroundings, reject destructive habits, seek help when they struggle and are willing to stand against social problems. Those people are sitting in our classrooms today. And somewhere in front of them stands a teacher. A teacher cannot change the whole world alone. But a teacher can change the direction of a young life. And when thousands of teachers do that every day, they can change the direction of society. A teacher may teach one student, but the impact can reach a thousand futures. On this Teachers’ Day, that is perhaps the greatest reason to say: Thank you, teacher.
(The author is a teacher and Environmental Science researcher pursuing PhD in Environmental Science. The views, opinions and conclusions expressed in this article are those of the author and aren’t necessarily in accord with the views of “Kashmir Horizon”)
