Educational Endeavours: A Shift in Priorities

 Analiza Kas

Analiza is a Professional writer at Best Essay Writing and also she is a Research Associate at the Lucy Cavendish College, University of Cambridge. She graduated in 2013 and has been engaged in not-for-profit academic projects with the Society for Dialogue & Action since then. She takes a keen interest in the latest developments in the field of Anthropology and enjoys taking long walks and reading classical novels.

The Sacred Institution of Teaching

Teaching is a sacred profession, where a teacher holds the threads of the future success of her/his pupils. The responsibility of teaching comprises of not just imparting academic lessons, but also moulding the beings of the students into scrupulous and morally astute individuals. As a student progresses to higher levels of education, special focus on the individual needs of each student is imperative for bringing out the maximum potential in each case. University level professors have an ordained duty to prioritize teaching above all and ensure that the students are getting their money’s worth.

Modern Day Teaching

The gradual decay of the teaching profession over the years has been a result of shifting priorities of academicians and educationists. The view of what is ‘best for the student’ has been debated and the conservative thinkers are being outnumbered by the contemporary mindset proponents who postulate that research is key and students stand more to gain in an independent environment where they are not bound by age-old customs of delivering routine assignments and research papers that undergo rigorous scrutiny by the course teacher. Instead, the students are encouraged to thrive in an open, independent space and develop a keener sense of understanding all on their own with minimal hindrance by their teacher.

Delivering Value for the Money

The debate between old and new methods may continue for a long time yet; nevertheless the priority in the academic sector needs to be solely on the students and the hefty amounts of money the average undergraduate – let alone graduate and post-graduate level students – is investing into a university’s cash pool on an annual basis. Take a look at any top-notch university and all the high-rangers will have a whopping annual sum that students need to deposit for attaining the degree of their dreams. Some may come from affluent backgrounds, but most have to struggle for paying their academic fees or turn towards student loans. However, regardless of the varying levels of difficulty that different students may encounter in their academic journey, one thing is certain: university students are not getting the requisite attention from their university teachers as they rightly deserve.

There is an unspoken agreement where teachers skimp on handing out regular assignments, quizzes and even delivering the required number of lectures. Handouts and reference readings are posted at the start of the term and the students can rely on each other for further clarification as oft times, their course teacher is not even available for an outside-the-classroom consultation. Reason being? S/he is busy with research that will further their career growth and broaden their academic achievements at the expense of the academic growth of their students.

Academic Accountability

The need of the hour is to revisit our traditional values and understand why education is regarded as the crux of a successful and developed society. Are those values being delivered in today’s academic institutions? If not, then what is the justification of the exorbitant tuition fees that students are being charged. How can teachers be held accountable for reneging on their professional values of delivering guidance and crucial mentorship to their charges?

Many people in influential positions have taken notice of the matter and it is hoped that the current situation of profiteering on university students by relegating education to a mere money-making business is soon amended.

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