When will we recognize the importance of teachers?

Luloa Ali Al-Duhaim THE role and responsibilities of teachers are enormous. In fact, the role teachers play in our lives is pivotal and can help us be successful. Teaching is not a profession itself but a mission; a good teacher leaves a good impression on students and contributes to shaping their personalities. A teacher has to be responsible, honest and loyal, and possess certain skills such as effective communication and innovating thinking. He should stimulate students to think innovatively and creatively about what they want to be in the future and how they can contribute to building their country’s economy. In my opinion, the most important mission of teaching is to develop the skills of students, broaden their knowledge and ensure that all students interact well with one another to learn more from each other’s experiences. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the Heaven and the earth and even the ant in its hole and the fish in water supplicate in favor of those who teach people knowledge.” This saying shows the great status and role of teachers. While writing these lines, I could not help but think about stories published in newspapers about some of the small mistakes certain teachers have made which could have been solved without naming and shaming the teachers in the press. We have to always remember that teachers have an important position in society and this status should be recognized. We must realize that we cannot develop our education system without taking this fact into consideration.