“Teachers are the unsung Heroes.” Are they now?

Teacher. I have always wanted to be a teacher since I was in elementary school. Teachers are like parents at school. I always put my respect on them. “Teachers are the unsung heroes.” I thought that it was true. They taught their students sincerely even though they did not get much from it. They educated children until they could be what they wanted to be when they grew up. They deserved respect for those things. But then, it came to be the question whether “teachers are the unsung heroes” still exist or not.

It happened in Indonesian education when teachers are no longer figure to be respected now. If I compare it to the condition in the past it is totally different. I remember that we had to  bow every time we walked pass the teacher. We also shook teachers’ hand before and after the class. We listened to every things they said. In brieft, they got the respect on top. But now, it is different. Many students do not have respect to the teachers. They become impolite and do not want to listen to the teachers. As the example, in August 2015 a biology teacher from junior high school, Bantaeng, South Sulawesi, got into jail just because pinched her naughty students as the students flushed dirty water to the musholla in school. The parents reported to the police which result in teacher containment. In June 2016, located in SMAN 2 East Sinjai, a teacher also had to be put in jail because of the report from the parent of student. The teacher only wanted the student to be discipline by cutting his hair as stated in school rule. So, the teacher cut the student’s hair. In the process of cutting the hair, the student did self defense with his arm which caused him to have  scratch on his arm.

Another example came from Kubu Raya regency, west Kalimantan in June 2016. A honorer teacher had to felt harassment by getting her long hair been cut by the parents of the students just because she wanted her students to be discipline. She cut the students hair because after several times admonition these boys still let their hair long. The parents who did not accept their sons’ hair been cut, came to the this teacher’s house. They  take off the head covering worn by the teacher and then cut her long hair. As this happened, the teacher who felt afraid decided to stop teaching for a while and went back to her family. It was so pathetic. As the words saying “to cherish a viper in one’s bosom.” The dedication of the teachers to educate students is not appreciated. Otherwise, they are considered as the helpers who help students to study. But they forget, teachers are more than that. Teachers do not only teach. They educate students to be better human. If the teachers have to teach in fear that they will be reported to the police and be put into jail, we can just wait that this country will be going to the era of stupidity which has no morality.

I, myself, ever had experience like this when one of parents come to me and scolded me in front of many people in the lobby of the school. He accused that there was violence to his child which was not. His kid got injured while he was playing with other students. There was abrasion on his cheek. It was an accident. The parent did not want to know. He did not want an explanation. He even insisted to do VER (Visum et Repertum) without asking what happened. Can you feel what I felt at that time? Wow, I was very shock. It was embarrassing. I took care of his child. I educate him well. But this was the result. Just because teacher earn little for this profession it does not mean that students or parents can do everything they want. No every single teacher in this world wants to harm the students. All teachers want the best for their students instead. But the parents can only find black sheep for everything happen to their children.

So, are the teachers still the unsung heroes? It is like “A nut forgets its shell.” They forget they can read and write because of teachers. They forget that they can be success because of teachers. They forget that teacher do not teach only knowledge but teacher also teach morality, discipline, and attitude. For the parents who forget about this please teach your children by yourselves. You can not imagine how hard it can be because you only know how to pay and send your children to school. 

 “Teachers, I believe, are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional efforts affect the fate of the earth.” ― Helen Caldicott