Sacred Duty: When teaching was more than a job

In the book “The Sacred Art of Teaching”, authors Lisa Delpit and Chris Emdin state the importance of the classroom. They see every lesson, every interaction, every moment with a learner by a teacher as a conversation with the future. No one can afford to teach without reverence. Educators cannot continue this work without recognising that they are part of a long line of spiritual workers, that they are standing in the classroom with their ancestors behind them. A teacher has the power to change the future. A student before us, a generation ahead of us, waiting to be shaped by what we do. Therefore, it is important to acknowledge that teaching is not just a job. It is a calling. It is not just professional, it’s prophetic. To teach a student, a teacher must know about them. Teaching is really a sacred profession rooted in relationships, humanity, culture and equity. Through deep and trusted relationships, empathy, care and a sense of purpose, educators influence the future of the learners. A good teacher always starts teaching by truly knowing the students and their background. This will help educators to create meaningful learning environments. Listening and learning from students is a powerful way to make teaching and learning experiences better and more fruitful. But sadly, in the current mechanistic global world, an economically driven educational landscape, classrooms are increasingly being transformed into marketplaces instead of holistic learning.

However, this was not the case in the past, especially the pre-Internet, pre-Google era and pre-AI era. The classroom was a sanctuary, not a marketplace. In past, the educational environment was viewed as a sacred place for learning, personal development, and growth. The classroom was very safe, protected and a refuge where teaching and learning were viewed with respect and sanctity. Education was not driven by transactional or profit mentalities. A teacher did not step into the profession to accumulate wealth, but to cultivate wealth of thought, wealth of character, wealth of possibility. Education was understood as a sacred trust and a leading self. To teach was to shape destinies quietly, patiently, and often invisibly. Teaching does not have an internal purpose, only an external one, that of serving learners and societies. In past, the purpose of teaching was not only to promote the good of individuals and societies but also the good of the doer. Teachers step into this profession to get happiness, the final goal of all humans, by experiencing satisfaction and self-realisation while teaching. Those who chose this path knew the bargain. They would not drive the finest cars or live in the grandest homes. Yet they carried a different abundance: the privilege of awakening curiosity, the honour of nurturing confidence, the rare joy of watching a hesitant learner discover their voice. Their reward was not printed on paper. It lived in the eyes of students who dared to dream.

But something has shifted, and this shift is very radical. Today, we see education stands at a crossroads between mission and market. Everybody recognises that the modern education system has failed to produce a moral and just society. What the future holds is not perfectly predictable, but we do know that it will be better. We all can recognise that something is wrong. Today, educational Institutions compete like corporations. The best brand and prestige mean more expensive and a more elite class. Certifications multiply faster than wisdom. In many places, the noble calling of teaching is pressed under the weight of performance metrics, financial incentives, and institutional branding. The language of service is slowly replaced by the language of profit, the language of immoral success, where no place for morality. Shall we blame individuals for this new reality and trends to say that educators now seek shortcuts to financial comfort, that passion has surrendered to pragmatism? But the story is deeper. It lies in the current social doctrine that redefines success. The society has shifted. Social reality moves faster, expectations run higher, and the push to balance personal and professional life feels heavier. Current society measures wealth in numbers, not in influence. Prestige is seen in income, not in impact. When such values dominate the cultural air we breathe, even the most idealistic professions feel the pressure.

Yet here is the truth we must not forget: education cannot become corrosive unless we allow its spirit to erode. But what is ignored in today’s litanies to lost youth is the corrosion of education itself, which is in danger of losing its validity as a way forward for new generations. An educator, we must acknowledge that our power does not lie in our salary brackets, but in our moral authority. A learner's conscience and intellect is shaped by an educator. When an educator speaks to the learners, they not only transmit information and knowledge, but they also transmit values, attitudes, and possibilities.

Even in a system strained by commercialisation, a single committed educator can transform a life. And transformed lives transform societies and the whole civilisation of humanity, present and future. Therefore, national reconstruction, progress and development are not possible without the active cooperation of the educators. An educator is the foundation of all education. Teachers use their motivational, inspirational, technical and creative skills to mould the minds of a learner. People are inspired and motivated to do what they are doing through the teachings and mentorship of teachers. People become what they know and understand from the training and education of teachers.

The future of education will be shaped by redefining the purpose of the society. It will not be rescued by past nostalgia, not by accepting the present trends blindly. Human desires and psychology cannot be changed towards financial stability, and this is not wrong while dignity demands fair compensation. But greed cannot be allowed in education. When economic success becomes the primary motive, then learning becomes a transaction. Sacred principle of education is lost, education becomes a product, and learners become consumers instead of seekers. While many promote the idea that students are passive consumers, versus students’ perceptions of themselves as learners. However, when this consumer narrative prevails, educators may also begin to view them in the same way. The most important questions should all be asking: What kind of society do we want to build? One driven solely by economic efficiency, or one enriched by thoughtful, ethical, and compassionate citizens? The foundation of education weakens if education is reduced to a stepping stone for personal economic growth only. But if education is restored as a social contract, shared responsibility, a covenant between teacher, student, and society, it regains its strength. The classroom becomes a sacred place. A place where integrity is modelled, where critical thinking is nurtured, where empathy is practised. The challenge before educators today is not merely professional, it is philosophical. It demands courage to resist shortcuts. It requires resilience to uphold standards when expediency tempts compromise. It calls for reflection: Why did I choose this path? What legacy do I wish to leave? Perhaps the most radical act in modern education is sincerity. To teach with authenticity. To prioritise understanding over superficial achievement. To care more about awakening minds than accumulating credentials.

Education has always been society’s quiet architect. Teaching has been viewed as the “noble profession” as it is of greater importance to society than many other professions. The classroom has been viewed as a “sacred” place, which has a spiritual connotation, transcending the temporal and the earthly.  Spirituality is rooted in what is human. What is it that defines a classroom in these terms? Surely it is something greater than focusing on curriculum, preparing students for success in life or the politics of school reform. Education should offer both hope and a sense of the future, to invent and discover knowledge and beauty. Therefore, its foundation should be very strong; every structure built upon it trembles.  But if its spirit is renewed, if educators reclaim their identity as guides rather than traders, then the profession regains its nobility. The world does not need more degrees. It needs more depth. It does not need faster shortcuts to wealth. It needs slower, steadier journeys toward wisdom. Therefore, Top of FormEducation should provide ample opportunities for the acquisition, creation, development, discovery and renewal of worthwhile culture. Furthermore, to survive in the current challenging times should develop the necessary skills.