#A Teacher’s Responsibility for Justice
Dear and respected teacher, peace be upon you.
I have the privilege of teaching at vocational schools. Unfortunately, I see serious shortcomings and harm in education and upbringing, and at every moment I feel accountable and burdened by guilt. But why?
On the one hand, students are far less interested in their studies and attach little value to learning and the pursuit of knowledge. So they do not deserve to pass.
On the other hand, schools put us under pressure, telling us that to raise the pass rate we must give passing marks to most of the students.
And I know that if a student receives a mark from me unjustly and advances to the next stages, they may one day unfairly occupy a position that someone more deserving should have held.
Yet most of these students come from families with low incomes and difficult, exceptional circumstances. Their families cannot give them the time, energy, or resources they need, and many of the children have to work. Some are under the care of the Welfare Organization; some have parents who are divorced, and so on. When I consider this, my heart tells me to make allowances for their families’ circumstances.
How difficult it truly is to put justice into practice!
Please advise me: what should a teacher do in circumstances like these? How can one uphold justice without being accountable to society, or to the students and their families?
I would be grateful for your detailed and thoughtful guidance on this matter, dear teacher…َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ