Teach Right

President of State 1 of Samraat Club International, Dr Uday Kudalkar was speaking at a seminar. He shared an advice he when he joined as faculty of anatomy at the Goa Medical College. The Head of his department told him, ‘Do not teach wrong!’

The instruction was to only teach what one is sure of. ‘If in doubt’, the senior told, ‘ask for time and return with the right information or clarification.’ What the elder expert was sharing with his young colleague was the mantra of ‘teaching only right’!  

The learners must not gullibly accept anything and everything the teacher says. But since they trust the teacher, teachers can be careless in passing on what they may not know at all or not know enough. This results in a breach of trust.

The present times are called the Information Age. However it is pertinent to note that it is also the misinformation age. Social media is becoming a fast track for quick ‘gyan’ which is creating ‘teachers’ who ‘teach wrong’. In the hurry to pass on, what is shared is oft wrong.

We must sift facts from the fiction. We must unlearn conditioning and overcome limiting prejudices. We must confirm the learning before we pass it on. We must learn right lest we teach wrong. We must be careful that we do not teach wrong. We must teach right!

Sift the chaff from the grain

Teach right so learners gain!

- Pravin K. Sabnis