In our childhood years, the teacher appeared to us as the ultimate role model—an authority figure, a source of knowledge, and a person with a powerful influence. But as we grew up, we discovered that the teacher was living a daily struggle with unseen challenges. In an era where pressures on this profession have increased, the message alone is no longer enough to endure; the task has become heavy. Teachers face growing marginalization and a profound shift in society’s perception of them. So, is this profession still as humane as we once believed? Or is there behind the silence a long-standing confrontation with a harsh reality? Here are four shocks that might change your perception of education forever, according to Abrar Al-Maay’ah, a graduate of Queen Rania Academy.
Administrative Evaluation Has Become More Important Than the Quality of Education
A teacher’s ability to convey ideas and shape awareness is no longer the sole criterion for success. Instead, achievement reports and files filled with tables and forms have become the primary reference for evaluation. Teachers spend long hours on documentation tasks that consume their mental energy and steal time meant for genuine preparation and educational reflection. This focus on paperwork rather than minds turns the teaching profession into file management rather than building generations, creating an internal feeling that the teacher’s real value is no longer in their contribution but in completing forms.
The Student Holds the Upper Hand in the Educational Relationship
The balance of authority in the classroom has changed. The student no longer only receives guidance but now also evaluates, monitors, and in some cases even judges the teacher. Supported excessively by some educational and social systems, some students have become pressure agents who may threaten the teacher with complaints, abuse, or even complete disregard. This confused relationship causes uncertainty in the teacher’s role and makes them cautious in fulfilling their guiding duties, fearing reactions that may escalate beyond the classroom to administrative offices or even the media. In such an environment, education becomes dependent on reactions rather than the maturity of ideas.
The Teacher Bears Responsibility for Failures They Did Not Cause
When educational levels decline or student results worsen, the blame is often placed directly on the teacher. They are treated as the sole party responsible for the system’s deterioration, even though they are the last link in a long chain starting from policies and ending with curricula and school environment conditions. The teacher alone bears the pressure and criticism without having real authority to enact change. This situation fosters a repeated sense of injustice, pushing teachers toward withdrawal rather than growth, as if society is making them bear the results of battles in which they were never consulted.
The Emotional Bond Between Teacher and Education Has Dried Up
Education used to be an emotional and human act before being a professional task. The relationship between student and teacher grew on trust, affection, and appreciation. Today, under the pressure of administrative tasks, excessive demands, and declining societal appreciation, many teachers have begun to lose this spiritual connection to their profession. Education has become a daily routine that leaves no room for emotions or for building personal relationships with students. Emotional dryness leads to a decline in performance and turns the profession into a mere job devoid of inspiration and true impact.
Is the Teaching Profession Still Humane?
Despite all the transformations the profession has undergone, there are still those who carry the torch of passion in their hearts and resist decline despite the circumstances. However, many teachers today work in environments that do not allow them to return to the human essence of the profession. Administrative pressures, lack of support, and declining status all act as obstacles that drain the spirit that makes education a mission, not just a job. Restoring the humanity of education is not the responsibility of teachers alone but a collective responsibility of society to restore their status and provide an environment that allows them to nurture, not merely survive.
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