Education is not just an occupation but a covenant with the future. Entrusted with shaping the minds of tomorrow, teachers hold one of society’s most sacred responsibilities. Yet, that covenant has been broken far too often in recent years. Across classrooms and corridors, a troubling trend has emerged: teachers are allowing themselves to be drawn off the job, abandoning their duties and the children who depend on them. This is not mere inconvenience; it is a profound betrayal. 

When educators shirk their responsibility, they rob children of stability, knowledge, and trust. They undermine the very foundation of our education system. And they do so while still collecting the paychecks meant to reward service, not absence.

Vanishing dedication

The teaching profession once stood as a beacon of honour and sacrifice. Teachers were pillars of integrity, by arriving to class early, staying late, and working tirelessly to help struggling students rise. Their reward was not wealth, but purpose. Today that spirit is waning.

Too many classrooms are left unattended, and too many lessons are postponed indefinitely because teachers have chosen to withdraw their services—sometimes with little or no justification. This sends a dangerous message: commitment is optional, duty can be delayed. 

We cannot afford to wait for change.

This growing culture of irresponsibility erodes public trust in education. And the cost is not measured in hours or dollars, but in lost potential, shattered routines, and broken dreams.

The D-average disaster

For years, that spectre of mediocrity--the dreaded “D average”--has haunted education systems like ours. It has become a symbol of systemic decline, a warning sign that something fundamental has gone wrong.

And its cause? We have analysed curricula, blamed technology, and even faulted parents for lack of involvement. But perhaps the most uncomfortable truth lies in the classroom mirror. The D average thrives where dedication has died. A teacher who treats the job as a paycheck rather than a purpose cannot inspire excellence.

The seriousness once associated with shaping young minds has been replaced by indifference. Rushed lesson plans and minimal effort are the new hallmarks of the profession. And the energy that once animated learning is nowhere to be found. How can we expect greatness when mediocrity is modelled daily by those meant to uplift? A disengaged teacher is a silent saboteur. Without enthusiasm, lessons become lifeless, and without care, students become careless. The D average does not simply reflect students—it reflects the educators entrusted with them.

Teaching is a sacred service, not a transaction

The role of a teacher transcends the ordinary boundaries of employment. Teaching is not a business deal. It is a service to humanity. It requires a heart for the craft and an understanding that one’s influence extends beyond the classroom walls.

When a teacher walks away from that duty, they are not simply neglecting a job, but breaking a moral obligation. They are accepting public funds while withholding public service. In any other profession, this would be labelled a dereliction of duty.

Indeed, teachers deserve fair wages, safe environments, and respect. Their grievances are not invalid. But when they withdraw their labour without considering the chaos it creates for students and families, they forfeit the moral high ground. One cannot claim to be a guardian of the young while abandoning them mid-term.

Great educators of the past worked through hardship and scarcity, often teaching under trees or in makeshift classrooms. They understood that teaching is a calling, not a convenience. Their devotion produced leaders, thinkers, and innovators. If they could persevere, what excuse do today’s absentee teachers have?

Children are not pawns

The most shameful aspect of this growing irresponsibility is the willingness of some teachers to use children as pawns in labour disputes or personal grievances. The classroom has become collateral damage in a tug-of-war for power and pay.

When teachers walk off the job abruptly, families are left scrambling. Single parents, already stretched to their limits, must make emergency arrangements for childcare and safety. Parents lose work hours, children lose learning time, and households become chaotic. This isn’t advocacy, it’s cruelty. Disrupting the education of innocent children to score political points or extract concessions is to cross a moral line. Children must never be used as bargaining chips. They should never be leveraged; they live in formation.

A strike that shuts down classrooms without warning may feel like a show of strength, but it is, in truth, an act of weakness. It reveals a lack of compassion and foresight. It is selfishness and irresponsibility in their most destructive form.

The single mother who must leave her job to care for her stranded child, the father who cannot afford a day off, and the student who misses crucial lessons before exams all pay the price for someone else’s negligence. Teachers who care about children must prove it not through words, but through consistent, unwavering presence.

The ripple effect of neglect

The impact of teacher irresponsibility extends beyond lost lessons. It reshapes the emotional landscape of childhood. Students learn not only from textbooks but also from behaviour. When teachers walk away without remorse, they internalize that irresponsibility as normal. What lesson does that teach? Is commitment negotiable? Can duty be abandoned when things get difficult? The values we claim to instill--discipline, perseverance, and accountability--are meaningless if not lived out by those who preach them.

Moreover, the rhythm of learning is fragile. Once disrupted, it rarely regains its original cadence. Replacing missed instruction requires time and energy that teachers often lack and school administrators often disregard. Many students never catch up, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds who rely most on consistent teaching.

Education is not an assembly line that can stop and restart at will. It is a living process. Each interruption leaves a scar. And while teachers may recover their pay after a walkout, students rarely recover their lost opportunities.

Eroding trust, endangering the future

Whenever a teacher abandons their post, public faith in the education system erodes a little more. Parents begin to view schools not as sanctuaries of learning, but as unstable institutions at the mercy of personal disputes. This perception is toxic. It discourages talented young people from joining the profession. It convinces society that teaching is no longer a noble pursuit, but a fragile contract easily broken. Over time, this cynicism seeps into the classroom, infecting students with the same apathy that ails their mentors.

When teachers lose credibility, everyone suffers. The system weakens, standards fall, and students graduate without the skills or values necessary to succeed. The damage is generational.

Accountability must return

Accountability must no longer be optional if we intend to seriously restore dignity to education. Teachers must be reliable and held to the same standards that govern any profession of public trust. When a doctor neglects a patient, there are consequences. When a police officer abandons his post, lives are endangered. Should it be any different for teachers whose negligence destroys futures?

Governments and school boards must enforce policies against chronic absenteeism and unjustified strikes. Evaluations should measure lesson plans, real classroom engagement, and student outcomes. Those who go above and beyond should be rewarded, while those who fail consistently should face consequences.

Unions, too, must shoulder their share of responsibility. Advocacy for better conditions is valid, but it must never come at the expense of the children’s right to learn. Collective action should uplift education, not interrupt it. True solidarity lies not in abandoning but standing tall for the students who cannot speak for themselves.

Rekindling the spirit of teaching

It’s time to return teaching to its rightful place as a sacred trust. To teach is to believe in potential, to light a candle in another’s mind and watch it burn brighter than your own. There should be great satisfaction from seeing the fruits of your labour. That mission cannot coexist with apathy.

Teachers must rediscover the joy and pride that once defined their calling. They must remember that the classroom is not merely a workplace; it is a workshop of destiny. Every child they teach carries the seeds of the future—leaders, creators, and citizens in waiting.

Dedication must again become the hallmark of the profession. Teachers should be inspired not by salary slips and success stories, but by the student who conquers fear, the teenager who discovers purpose, and the child who dares to dream because someone believes in them.

When that spirit returns, excellence will follow. The D averages will fade. Respect for teachers will rise anew. But it begins with one simple step: show up, every day, with heart and purpose.

Conclusion: duty before dollars

Education is the most significant investment any nation can make. Yet, that investment yields returns only when teachers honour their duty. Those who abandon their classrooms for selfish reasons not only fail their students, but they undermine the very society that employs them.

The children of today are watching, learning not just algebra or grammar, but character. They observe how adults handle responsibility and respond to hardship. When teachers walk away, they teach indifference. When they stay and serve with integrity, they teach greatness.

The choice is theirs, but the consequences belong to us all

Teachers must never forget that their paychecks are not payment for time. They are payment for trust, which is hard to rebuild once broken.

So let this be a call to conscience: put duty before dollars, compassion before comfort, and children before self. The classroom is not a battlefield for ego or entitlement. It is the cradle of the future, and our children deserve teachers who will never walk away from that sacred responsibility.