Instead of beefing about teachers' anaemic dedication to the profession of teaching, let's first see whether they are provided a friendly and encouraging atmosphere to enable them to render their duties in a constructive manner. Should not the policies meant to ensure the healthy learning of students be applied to provide a healthy teaching environment to teachers?

For instance, the Pygmalion effect says that high expectations attract higher performance. Teachers are advised to have positive expectations of students to turn them around. Contrarily, from education ministers to bureaucrats to principals, all deem teachers good-for-nothing. The point is that teachers must also be treated under the very Pygmalion effect.

The intimidating and incriminating officialese insinuates that teachers are procrastinators. The official letters and notifications bear threats of punitive actions: the lapsers will be held accountable; PEEDA will come into action; the pro forma must be submitted before leaving the school, and such like. Often, official........

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