A Teacher Should Have Teacher-Like Qualities

They sit gossiping around on chairs Under shady walnut Sh! Sh! Backbiting! Abusing! Loud laughing… having fun! A proud young man newly appointed Abused his pupils in anger When I in innocence interrupted him And reminded of his class, For the poor pupils I saw were waiting Opening their books on their bags. Another one, a Master, I saw was pulling his inferior female colleague’s arm And dragging her in…! A lecturer kissing his girl students on cheeks, whispering in their ears, and embracing…! A broad shouldered tall teacher would kiss and bite The plum-cheeks of my fair-looking class- fellows, One among now is a KPS officer! An old lame teacher, A drinker, abused the pupils all the time, Often sitting cross- legged, lighting a cigar. O! Let’s stop it here… but a sick Sikh headmaster Now I see had been highly communal Would beat at prayer- time The poor pupils sweating in sun, Without seeing the wooden-slates And beating with willow- twigs their soft thighs. Thanks to the highly disciplined modern schools In private sector But the curriculum be child centered And not fatiguing and boring. O O! Recently I have heard of the teachers Who gave me a humiliating nickname, One is shouting and hurling stones at people, Another is dumbfounded, hardly talking to any one. Whom have you hired teachers...? Drivers and Boucher— I wonder and I ponder… But, let I at least protest.