The Olden Days

The Last Teacher Standing

In the olden days, teachers were gods. They were next to the white colonial masters in order of ranking. They were respected and valued. They were seen as people sent by God to take ignorance away from the land in substitute for fortunes and good tidings of life. A community of old would never take a decision if the teacher is absent, for his input is crucial to decision of the elders.

The teacher in the olden days never suffered anything. He was robust and well fed. He hardly touched his salary except when he needed it to buy a car or to build a house. His accommodation and food were taken care of by the community. His washings and house cleaning were exclusively the preserve of the students. They represented the community at governmental and other meetings. Teachers in the olden days were next to kings.

But His counterpart in modern times is easily recognized when cornered. He moves about in tattered clothes. His shoes are worn-out. He is so lean and dry that his trouser occasionally drops from his buttocks. When he puts on a tie, there is always a wide gap between his neck and the collar of his shirt. He is always hungry and hence, always angry. Out of anger at times, he beasts a student and the next day, the parent of the child comes to school to harass him.

He dares not introduce himself before important people as a teacher if he wants recognition: rather he prefers a more polished phrase - Education Consultant. Because his salary is too meager to sustain him for the month, he resorts to extorting money from the students using one excuse or the other. At times, he engages in GCE 'expo' business to make ends meet.

Some of the students even call him by various appellations