The poignant notion of teachers suddenly ‘adoring’ a parent only after a profound personal tragedy strikes offers a stark and unsettling reflection. It suggests a significant disconnect, a gap in empathy or awareness that perhaps only immense grief can bridge. When a mother’s world is shattered, her focus, understandably, becomes hyper-aware, inadvertently shining a spotlight on the very systems meant to nurture and protect our children.

This sudden shift in perception within the educational sphere speaks volumes. It implies that before the unthinkable occurred, the everyday struggles, the subtle cues, or even the direct pleas of a parent might have gone unheard or unprioritized. The ‘adoration’ that follows tragedy often isn’t genuine appreciation for the parent, but rather a reactive response to a shocking event, highlighting a system ill-equipped or unwilling to engage deeply with human vulnerability until it’s too late.

Such a scenario forces us to question the foundational culture of our educational institutions. Are they built to foster genuine human connection and holistic well-being, or are they primarily structured around academic metrics, attendance records, and disciplinary frameworks? The experience underscores a critical flaw: a system that might view parents as mere stakeholders rather than co-partners in a child’s developmental journey, and students as data points rather than complex individuals with unique emotional landscapes.

This mother’s unintended revelation serves as a powerful call to action for every school and educator. It’s an urgent reminder that true educational excellence extends far beyond textbooks and exams; it encompasses creating an environment where empathy is paramount, where students feel truly seen, and where parents are valued as integral members of the learning community, not just when crisis demands attention. It challenges us to build systems that are proactively caring, not reactively contrite.

Ultimately, the ‘adoration’ born from grief should transform into a sustained commitment to compassionate education for all. Every child deserves to learn in an environment where their emotional well-being is as important as their academic progress, and every parent deserves an open, empathetic dialogue with their child’s school long before tragedy strikes. This painful lesson must compel us to reshape our schools into places where genuine human connection is the rule, not an exception carved out by sorrow.

Source: https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/now-the-teachers-adore-me-3963806