The Essential Role of Teachers in Education : หน้า 30/47

knowledge or science in a way that encourages absorption while correctly and clearly conveying the subject matter to the pupil. To be skilled in the art of teaching, teachers must not only deliver the subject based on their combined in-depth knowledge and appropriate application but also connect with the pupils by the respect they command by way of their own personality and professionalism as perfect model teachers. Many of the ills that the world faces today are due to education that does not include ethical and moral virtues that are necessary for a harmonious society and spiritually supported existence in this lifetime. Many academics teach as a lucrative profession but are not teachers in the true sense. When education is incomplete, it that knowledge is separated from morality and ethics, the very fabric of society falls apart. Students are empowered with the knowledge and ability to make changes for which they assume no responsibility for the consequences. Students go into the world unaware of the forces that will lead them onto the ‘Roads to ruin’. Their actions will only carry others along the same path of endless sufferings and rebirths. Buoyed with academic success the pitfalls of their irresponsibility will go unnoticed until kilesa and suffering have already taken hold. To avoid the consequences of irresponsible teaching, it is imperative that teachers review their motives and take a professional or vocational approach to their responsibilities as human beings. The teacher must know how to balance both academic and moral standards in responsible cohesion. To self-assess their teaching capabilities, teachers must ask of themselves individually the following questions: Do I teach with theory but without skill? Do I teach with theory and skill but without moral integration? Do I teach with theory, skill and apply moral guidance? Do I teach with theory, skill and moral guidance successfully? If teachers can identify with the latter they will surely produce well-educated pupils that are also good people. TRAINING THE TRAINERS 58 TYPES OF TRAINER Human beings learn from birth in all kinds of circumstances and from all kinds of sources, but for structured formal education, we can categorize teachers into three types as follows: Home teachers — This refers to those parents or guardians who plant moral seeds in the impressionable minds of the young, teaching good habits from birth. It may be eating, cleanliness and hygiene, sleeping, bathroom use and so on. We may classify these things as all the personal and social disciplines that add up to a basic well-rounded individual who may enjoy successful social integration within the family and community. If these basics of home-taught knowledge and behaviour are neglected or impure, the consequences will lead to future suffering and conflicts in society. Schoolteachers — This refers to those who have a long-term role and influence throughout the formal structured education of the pupil. Because of the considerable number of hours and period of influence, these teachers will have their students, their prime requirement is knowledgeable spiritual awareness and irreproachable moral values. With this in place the academic nature of their tuition will lead to the student in the direction of righteousness in the future application of the acquired knowledge and education. Spiritual teachers — This refers to educators who are recognized as thinking and doing only good things, enlightening the pupil to the merits of understanding oneself and life. They provide spiritual and practical guidance and also encouragement to empowering pupils to overcome the kilesa that will try to rule their lives. These teachers must also be irreproachable moral pillars of support not only in this world but serve as an enlightened bridge between this world and the celestial realm. EARLIEST TRAINERS But how do we teach children while they are so young to be orderly and punctual? The answer is to make them used to these characteristics, otherwise if it is left to a later stage it will be very hard to change already developed bad habits.