Is teaching noble or commercial profession?

From my experience with teaching in my local community in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria (and this experience roughly depicts what occurs in most parts of Nigeria), most individuals take the call to teach a ridiculous job which only provides them in the least with the daily bread for mere sustenance. Teaching is not perceived as noble for certain reasons, primarily because teachers only eke out an existence for themselves and this frustrates the passion to teach so much that teachers themselves now encourage the morals they teach against, namely examination malpractices.

As far as I know, many years back, teaching used to be noble in the locale mentioned above. Especially before the period when Nigeria's social life melted in a high index of unemployment and other economic disasters, teachers used to be revered as though they were gods. History bears it that teachers are extraordinarily knowledgeable; and they were respected, even though they only earned a penny then. The popular play of Wole Soyinka, The Lion and the Jewel, depicts the nobility teachers. Those who taught were those who had the passion for teaching. That is, people were not forced to teach because of unemployment. Thus, it was greatly noble. I believe the products of those honourable teachers in those days of the area aforementioned are the outstanding and diligent lecturers found in the university of that locale, University of Ibadan. When those lecturers themselves speak, one will reckon that they are mastered in the teaching call by passion and zeal.

Unlike then, however, we now have people forced to teach because they want to survive in a harsh economy. This seems to me a fundamental reason why the noble 'profession' continually diminishes into a commercial 'job'. Year after year, graduates who are unable to secure employment in their fields of study decide to teach to earn some meagre which can sustain them until they reach their dreamland. Thus, most newday teachers are motivated to teach in order to earn money, but not in order to pass across knowledge, which was the motivation noble teachers in the past had. It is rare to find a teacher who is into the profession not because of what to eat, but because it is a glorious, most honourable deed today.

Personally, I revere teaching because it is noble, one which nobility is scarcely matched by other things; in fact, I think what roughly matches teaching in nobility is learning, which is just the other side of the same coin to which teaching belongs. However, the trend of conviction among people today is that teaching is a mere job, a ridiculous one at that, which only provides you with some money with which to manage yourself.

Two quotations here to evoke the ‘nobility’ of teaching:

“The word "education" comes from the root e from ex, out, and duco, I lead. It means a leading out. To me education is a leading out of what is already there in the pupil's soul.”

― Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

“the calling of the teacher. There is no craft more privileged. To awaken in another human being powers, dreams beyond one’s own; to induce in others a love for that which one loves; to make of one’s inward present their future; that is a threefold adventure like no other.”

― George Steiner, Lessons of the Masters

And see this article: ‘What Motivates Teachers: It's More Than Money’

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/12/05/fp_passanisi_peters_motivates.html

People who enter the teaching profession for purely commercial reasons are going to be disappointed and disengaged pretty quickly. Students are better off without teachers like this. I don’t believe that too many exist.

All education is for environment and its aim is not to master subject matter, but to transform human being from ignorant to knowledge full. It is a profound philosophical exploration of transmitting knowledge in human society; it translates knowledge to successive generations. Education act as a moral enterprise and the knowledge which it provides carries responsibilities and make human being accountable to see that it is well used in their social life. Education introduces human being to values, humanity, consciousness, prudence, wisdom, intelligence, commitment, virtue, honesty and character. Its secret lies in respecting the humanity, its holy objective is to enable ignorant to love beauty and differentiate between what you know and what you do not know. It teaches human soul to think intensively, clearly, critically and empower human beings to appreciate life. Education is life in itself; it turns mirrors of mind into windows and replaces complexity of mind with intelligence and morality. It acts as a passport to the future success and virtual growth, it become lantern in dark, it leads human soul to what is best and produce best out of them. The ultimate goal of education is to discipline the mind rather than furnishing it, and enabling human being to use its own powers rather than accepting others directions. It is a best way of nation defense.

Achieving entire goals of education becomes possible if all the factors and participants act in positive direction with positive frame of mind. Education is nothing but a mutual commitment between dedicated and honest teachers, motivated and hard working students and enthusiastic parents with noble expectations. Teachers are architect of future and they are widely considered as a representative of Holy Prophets and thus they owe the responsibility to act as parents, as a friend and as a guide to the students. They have to study students like a book and have to fill the gaps and remove the short coming with knowledge, efficiency and perfection. Teachers are responsible and accountable to coordinate, to cooperate, to direct, to control, to motivate and to facilitate the future of the society “Students”. It is found that most of the educational approaches and modules follow obsolete empirical track with sole aim of discovering pragmatic solutions for teachers and administrators. But some distinctly dedicated team of teachers solemnly performing this holy responsibility with honesty and integrity and leaving no stone un-turn in transforming students at global at par.

it is quite commercial in pakistan

Teaching is Noble or Commercial Profession?

Think it depends on individual's career goal or / and perception which can be influenced by their background, experience, role model, stable job, family conditions etc. I also came across some teachers started off treating teaching as commercial profession & slowly changed to a noble profession when they progressed into different stages of their life. Vice-versa can be true from noble to commercial profession.

With other things put into consideration here in Nigeria, I strongly believe teaching job is commercial at initial stage because your take home is to earn a living and obtain higher certificates and conduct research and sometimes need to take a loan for supplementary. However, as you proceed on the ladder, you earn reputation and recognition which may be the joy of our professions.

I believe in a noble profession because all the investment in studies, dedication and time could not be covered by the salary

I beleive teaching is a noble profession... ....it is

ideas and beliefs that are taught by somebody...its life long process