Teachers’ Day celebrations at Beldih Church School. Picture by Anup Sinha

Jamshedpur, Sept. 4: Radha Agarwal was at the crossroads again. She was caught between her parents and her best friend. Obliging one would mean hurting the other and both were equally precious. An exasperated Radha called up her English teacher and minutes later she was breathing much easy. It may seem a take from the Sharukh Khan-Amitabh Bachchan starrer Mohabbatein, but things are now really cool at the modern-day Gurukuls.

In DBMS school, students had put on a different act. Given the freedom on the eve of Teachers’ Day, they would not settle for anything less than a catwalk for teachers. And the teachers didn’t mind a bit. They struck poses and sashayed down the ramp.

The scenes at DBMS and many other schools are not cases in isolation. Far from days when students thought twice before approaching a teacher for help in academics, the ties have transcended the barriers of a classroom. The teacher is more of a friend, philosopher and guide.

“Unlike earlier times, when students generally felt awkward approaching a teacher for advice, there is a perceptible change in the relationship between teachers and students. However, frankness on the part of students does not mean they have forgotten to respect their teachers,'' explains principal of the DBMS school Prema Balasubramanium.

“Students nowadays have become more aware and are far more confident in approaching teachers whether it be for academics alone or for personal reasons,’’ says Sarla Jha of Narbheram Hansraj English School. A student, who wanted to juggle studies and her dancing lessons approached her. recently. “She was a good dancer, but fearing that her academics would suffer, she was not sure whether to take tuitions. I encouraged her,” recalls Jha.

“The change in relationship is definitely a positive sign. Students now are more confident. Earlier, awareness was the prerogative of the school and teachers,” says principal of Jamshedpur Public School Lalita Sareen.