Tutor, clerk, peon, cook, surveyor: Unseen travails of Indian teachers

Teachers were once society's heroes and placed on a pedestal. But the pedestal seems to be crumbling and teachers have mostly become dogsbodies not really focussing on shaping children's minds but minding other work related to the running of a school.

Teachers in government, private, and prestigious international schools in India are not just teaching anymore. Their place is no longer confined to a classroom in front of a blackboard.

Their workload has increased so much and their responsibilities so diverse, it extends beyond classroom teaching.

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Too many hats

From data entry to managing mid-day meals to counselling students, government teachers in India are doing all of this and more. They wear multiple hats and feel overwhelmed with work, all of which eventually wears them out.

This is leading to frustration and burnout among teachers. What's more, COVID seems to have intensified their duties.

International school teachers are not having it any better. They also handle an array of non-academic tasks, including communication with parents and event management, while also feeling pressure to maintain a positive school image.

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All of this blows to smithereens the idea of teaching as a profession which provides work-life balance.

Nothing to do with teaching

Talking to teachers in government schools from different states gives a glimpse into the nature of work they do, which has nothing to with teaching.

During a discussion on their workload and non-teaching responsibilities, educators from Delhi government schools reeled off a list of all that they do.

The teachers spoke of data entry for attendance and mid-day meals, opening bank accounts for students to transfer benefits, checking parents' Aadhaar cards, creating salary bills, distributing mid-day meals, sourcing vegetables from the market, and participating in various censuses.

Election duties

Additionally, during elections, teachers are assigned booth-level officer duties, often outside school hours. Although the Delhi High Court has exempted women teachers from some election responsibilities, many teachers reported that women still participate.

Sumaya (all names changed), one such frustrated teacher, expressed her discontent with various demands: “I went for this survey on alcoholism and abuse among children, and it was challenging to convince parents to participate. This shows a lack of respect for our work, and when we voice our concerns, we are told to simply adjust."

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Teachers are supposed to collect, check, and enter caste certificate details after obtaining them from the parents. It is a tedious exercise and any error may result in denial of government benefits to them, the teachers noted.

Administrative burdens

In Karnataka, teacher Rashi illustrated the complexities involved in opening bank accounts for students. She explained that teachers must collect birth certificates and verify parents' Aadhaar details, often facing complications such as parents' marital situations.

“One parent may want the name of their current partner on the account instead of their actual parent, which is illegal. We must explain this to the parents, and these issues complicate our workload. If I am handling all this, when do I find time to teach? They do not hire administrative staff, even though there is a provision,” she noted.

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Many teachers expressed a desire to reduce administrative burdens to focus on academics. They reported that since COVID, the situation has worsened, extending their working hours to around 12 hours daily, with constant availability on WhatsApp for urgent tasks like updating data on mid-day meals, UDISE, and admissions.

Another teacher, Ramesh, remarked: “We constantly update lists of students in each class — boys and girls, admissions, and withdrawals. This data keeps changing until September.”

Healthcare needs

In one of the visits to a primary school, the headmistress opened the cardboard to show a stock of deworming tablets and sighed, "We are supposed to distribute this. The teachers are supposed to be next to a child when deworming and iron tables are issued. A child must be observed for at least an hour or so for adverse effects."

In some schools, teachers ensure that the mid-day meal supplied is of good quality.

If the food goes stale, as it sometimes does, the teachers must make alternative arrangements through the vendor and ensure it is distributed to the children before the classes start.

Ration supply

Teacher Govindaraju from Karnataka shared that during droughts or early school closures during summer, they are required to supply rations.

“Teachers used to be respected, but now we are not. There is a camera watching us, and even if I sit down, I am questioned," he shared.

"The workload is overwhelming; we have only seven teachers in this high school, and we often combine classes. As the HM, I am constantly asked for information and pressured to attend meetings, leaving me little time to teach. The district's poor results this year have led to more demands for us to attend meetings about exams and tests. During these online meetings, I cannot even take a call,” Govindaraju added.

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Wearing multiple hats

Another headmistress noted, “As an HM, I must juggle roles like clerk, peon, and even cook. We wear so many hats; it is incredibly demanding.”

Counselling students is a major part of the job, as noted by a teacher in Karnataka.

“We also need to counsel parents about issues like child marriage. There have been six cases of elopement in our village, and if ST and SC children are involved, the pressure increases, requiring police inquiries. We regularly counsel students to stay focused on their studies, and complete homework. We listen to their family issues, such as alcoholism or single-parent households," said one of the teachers The Federal spoke to.

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One teacher mentioned being sent to training sessions, returning to school in the evening to complete administrative tasks and often staying late.

Overwhelmed by work

According to the National Achievement Survey 2021, around 40 per cent of teachers in Karnataka reported feeling "overwhelmed by work". Government school teachers are experiencing helplessness and frustration as they are burdened with non-teaching responsibilities, hindering their ability to focus on teaching and engaging with students.

International schools in India, which follow British, American, and IB curriculums, have more stringent student-teacher ratios and other teaching norms. So, why is the plight of teachers in those schools no better?

Coming soon, in Part II of this series.