✒️ : Zahoor Ahmad
Parents often say, “Make sure my child gets good marks.”
A simple sentence. A heavy expectation.
But behind classroom doors, there is another story, one that rarely makes it to report cards.
A Class 10 student sits in front of me, eyes dull with fatigue.
“Sir, I don’t get it… but I have a test tomorrow.”
So I do what the system quietly demands: I give shortcuts, not understanding.
A bright, creative child writes answers in his own voice, his own way.
But that originality is unwelcome.
“Make him memorize the exact format,” his parents insist.
And so, I ask him to copy… not because I want to, but because I must.
A phone call comes, sharp with concern, edged with blame:
“Why are his marks dropping?”
I know the answer.
He is tired. He is overwhelmed. He is trying to keep up with expectations that grow faster than he does.
But what is asked of me is not the truth; it is results.
And in between all this, I see something deeper.
Fear.
In young eyes that should be filled with curiosity.
Fear of failure.
Fear of judgment.
Fear of disappointing the very people they are trying to make proud.
A teacher’s job, however, does not exist in isolation anymore.
It is further complicated by a new, powerful distraction… social media.
Many students today find themselves caught in its constant pull, making it harder to focus, to reflect, to truly engage with learning.
The classroom competes with screens that never switch off.
And as if this were not enough, the weight of additional assignments, reports, and departmental duties often cripples even the most dedicated teacher’s carefully planned work.
Time that could have been spent nurturing understanding is consumed by paperwork and compliance.
A teacher, they say, teaches.
But that is only the surface.
A teacher is a guardian, quietly protecting each child from unseen pressures.
A healer, who understands that a headache may not need medicine, but compassion.
A detective, solving small mysteries that matter greatly in a child’s world.
A judge, balancing discipline with encouragement, every single day.
A scientist, constantly experimenting to make learning alive.
A magician, turning dull pages into moments of wonder.
And above all, a teacher is a builder of lives, not just a distributor of marks.
Yet, despite wearing so many faces, a teacher remains what we often forget… a human being.
A human shaped by the Same Society.
A human who tries, who adapts, who sometimes falters.
A human who carries expectations not just from students, but from parents, institutions, and the world at large. Then why is he judged so easily?
By every voice.
On every decision.
At every step.
Perhaps it is time we pause and ask:
Are we measuring teachers by numbers… or understanding their purpose?
Because beyond the marks, beyond the pressure, beyond the noise, there stands a teacher, quietly trying to do one thing: Prepare Children not Just for Exams, but for Life.
Support Independent and Impartial Journalism
Nouk-e-Qalam News is a free and independent journalistic platform. To maintain our ethical standards and avoid obscene advertisements, we have disabled Google Ads. We now rely on your generous financial support to continue our unbiased reporting. Our Writers and readers are kindly urged to contribute—daily, weekly, or monthly. Thank you for standing with truth.
