Having been in the profession for 33 years, Prof T Vijay Kumar still derives immense pleasure in teaching young students and helping cultivate their minds. An English Professor at Osmania University, Hyderabad, Prof Kumar is a favourite among most fresh graduates, who vouch for his unique brand of teaching.
“I try to make students think, instead of spoon-feeding them. I try to make them question things rather than blindly accepting everything. I think of them as adults and capable of thinking, so my basic job is to motivate them to think. Once they start thinking, I’m sure they will be able to find the solutions themselves,” he says. The professor laments the lack of focus among the current generation of students. “They have false notions and I think before they can learn anything or be made to learn anything, you have to first make them un-learn several things. This is because they all come with cluttered minds and ideas, so there is this whole baggage of bad teaching, bad learning and confused thinking,” explains Prof Kumar.
When asked it if it bothers him when students don’t listen to him, Kumar says, “It affects any teacher but fortunately, I haven’t had that kind of experience with any student. If you actually pay attention to the student, they respond very well. Although, initially they might resist and present a rebellious attitude, once they realise the sincerity of the teacher, they immediately respond. I think students are smart enough to differentiate between sincere teachers and those who just take up teaching as a job. Some students have a resistance to authority, but it can be easily broken down.”
The professor calls for a change in public perception to improve the current education system. “I think what we need is a complete overhaul of our education system. Most students coming into the arts and social sciences field either come because other options have failed or they think that this is easier to do. There is a whole lot of societal change that needs to be brought about, in terms of what we see education as and what actually we expect education to do to an individual,” he adds.
suhas@newindianexpress.com