A country’s educational system determines its nation-building, the development of national identity and the human capital. The way educational institutions are structured, governed, and managed plays a crucial role in shaping the educational system. This interface is as vital to the nation as oxygen is to life. At the heart of it is the teacher, who is the most important stakeholder and, indeed, the backbone of every educational institution. What actually interconnects society, educational system, educational institutions, teachers, and society is the educational policy.
NEP 2020 redefines these relationships through specific structural and systemic approaches and views education not merely as a means of getting a job, but as a tool for individual development, social transformation and nation-building. NEP 2020 emphasises that society and education cannot remain isolated; instead, educational institutions can contribute to societal development. Yet, the question remains. Does our society truly value and recognise the importance of this relationship? Does the curriculum of our educational institutions address the societal issues? Does the society address the concerns of its educational institutions
Unfortunately, there appears to be a growing disconnect between society and educational institutions. Rather than functioning as interconnected systems, our educational institutions and communities increasingly operate in isolation with limited interaction and shared responsibility. The result is that imparting education is irrelevant and often fails to cultivate essential human qualities such as empathy, values, respect, responsibility, integrity, compassion, and a strong sense of character. The true purpose of the development of responsible, ethical, compassionate, and socially conscious citizens is only possible when society and the educational institutions function as interconnected systems.
Our society faces a fundamental contradiction in the way it values education and honours educational institutions and teachers. We readily donate, contribute, and invest in the construction of magnificent temples and mosques, yet when it comes to our educational institutions, we often neglect their infrastructure, overlook their needs, and hesitate to extend the same generosity and collective responsibility. Why this approach? Why do we leave educational institutions largely to the government and, in doing so, distance ourselves from our own responsibility towards the education of future generations and the future of the nation?
It is time to rethink this approach and re-energise our collective commitment by rebuilding our connection with educational institutions. The strength of a society is reflected not only in the number and quality of its places of worship, but also in the quality of its educational institutions. If institutions educate society, the latter must enrich the former. This will bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-life problems. Otherwise, our mission of becoming a knowledge society will always be a dream apart.
Although the teacher has historically occupied a central position in the teaching-learning process, the role of the teacher today has evolved significantly. A teacher is not merely a transmitter of knowledge but a primary facilitator of students’ creativity, critical thinking, analytical abilities, and overall character building, intellectual and emotional development. Their influence extends beyond what they teach in the classroom to what they demonstrate through their own conduct.
Teachers must live the values they teach to bridge the gap between knowledge and conduct. In this context, there is a pressing need for competent and professionally prepared teachers who can teach and mentor students throughout their academic journey. In this regard, the way educational policy recognises, prioritises, and institutionalises the professional development of teachers becomes critically important.
Sustained investment in the professional learning of teachers is not merely an institutional requirement; it is fundamental to the transformation of the educational system itself. NEP 2020 gives a central and elevated place to the teacher. It views teachers not merely as subject instructors, but as essential to improving educational quality, nurturing learners, and contributing to the broader development of society and the nation, and see India emerging as a global knowledge superpower.
In this perspective, academic qualifications, subject expertise, and professional competence of a teacher are undoubtedly important, but they cannot, by themselves, fulfil the larger purpose of education and development of socially conscious citizens. Values and ethics are above all. When knowledge and character walk together, education truly fulfils its purpose. At the same time, ethical responsibility cannot rest entirely on individual teachers.
Educational institutions have an equally important responsibility to create a culture in which integrity, accountability, fairness, respect, and professional responsibility are valued and practised. Here comes the role of educational administrators and leaders. When teachers and institutions collectively embody the values they seek to impart, education becomes a powerful instrument for character formation and social transformation.
But one aspect remains very crucial, that is, a teacher is ultimately judged by his/her own actions. Ethics govern two fundamental dimensions of a teacher’s professional life: the teacher–student relationship and the teacher’s relationship with the profession and workplace. A teacher who practises what he/she teaches or lectures earns the respect and confidence of its students.
Ethical consistency, therefore, is fundamental to effective teaching. A teacher’s influence extends beyond the transmission of academic knowledge to the development of students’ character, values, attitudes, and sense of social responsibility and national integrity. Through their everyday behaviour and interactions, teachers serve as living examples of the values they seek to cultivate in their students.
Thus, a teacher is not merely a lecturer and an instructor but a role model whose conduct profoundly influences the academic, moral, emotional, and social development of his/her learners. A teacher’s influence extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom and the delivery of academic content. Teachers must also recognise that teaching is not merely a profession; it is a form of public trust and carries a profound social responsibility.
When teachers genuinely practise the values they teach, educational institutions can become powerful centres of character formation, ethical development, and societal transformation.
(The author is Associate Professor of Zoology, Islamia College of Science and Commerce (Autonomous), Srinagar)
