“Those who shape minds shape the future.” Yet, in India, the very individuals tasked with nurturing young intellects—our high school teachers, often find themselves overburdened, underappreciated, and emotionally drained.
While students are the heart of our education system, teachers are its backbone for sure. And like any backbone, they must be strong, supported, and valued. This blog is a peek into the everyday lives of high school teachers across India—what they experience, what they endure, and what they deserve.
The Reality of Their Workload
Contrary to the assumption that teachers “only work half the day,” high school educators often clock in more than 10 hours a day – and some might clock in for even more, depending upon their workload.
- Classroom Teaching: Most teachers handle five to six periods daily, which means each one requires focused delivery, classroom management, and emotional regulation.
- Administrative Duties: There is more to a classroom than just textbooks and we are all aware of that. Teachers are involved in recording attendance to filling student progress reports and updating files for inspections. Hence, paperwork consumes a large part of their time.
- Exam Evaluation: Teachers often spend evenings and weekends grading papers, preparing question banks, or conducting remedial classes – that is another 3-4 hours.
- Parent Communication: Regular parent-teacher meetings, counselling sessions, and even handling grievances over WhatsApp have become the norm now.
When you stack this workload next to their paychecks and public perception, the imbalance becomes painfully clear and is not justified at all.
Emotional Labor
Unfortunately, high school students in India are under intense academic and societal pressure, especially in Classes 10 and 12. Teachers, by default, become their first counselors which is a responsibility that is unspoken but they are not even paid for it.
They’re expected to identify signs of stress, low self-esteem, or burnout in students—while often having no professional training in mental health. They become mediators in family issues, cheerleaders for shy kids, and emotional anchors for struggling students.
All this while going through their own personal and financial challenges – sounds challenging, right? We know. Teachers carry an emotional load that very few can acknowledge.
Here Comes the Digital Shift
The post-COVID era forced an abrupt transition to digital teaching which has majorly impacted teachers as they were left to fend for themselves. While students gradually adapted, many teachers were left to fend for themselves.
- Learning online platforms overnight
- Managing classes with poor connectivity
- Juggling between online and offline modes
- Facing judgment from parents during live classes
Despite their best efforts, many teachers were criticized for “not being tech-savvy enough” which highlights how little support or upskilling they were provided.
Low Pay, High Expectations
According to various surveys, private school teachers, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities often earn between ₹10,000 to ₹25,000 per month. For a role that demands such mental, emotional, and intellectual investment, this compensation barely covers living expenses.
Meanwhile, they’re expected to:
- Maintain academic excellence
- Participate in school marketing events
- Prepare students for national-level competitions
- Take on extra duties without additional pay
The Pressure of Results
One of the heaviest burdens high school teachers carry is the pressure of board results. The system ties their performance to students’ grades—often ignoring individual learning curves, socio-economic backgrounds, or mental health issues. Poor results can result in blame, reprimand, or even termination.
Instead of being facilitators of learning, teachers are forced into the role of grade producers. This not only reduces teaching to a numbers game but also leads to unhealthy competition, stress, and burnout.
Most schools operate in a top-down structure, where curriculum decisions, timetables, and even teaching methods are dictated by management or boards.
Teachers often feel unheard or disempowered, especially when:
- Student concerns are brushed aside for reputation reasons
- Suggestions for change are ignored
- Unreasonable targets are set without consultation
Apart from Teachers’ Day speeches and token awards, most educators don’t receive any recognition for their effort, creativity, or impact because they are not taken seriously enough.
This lack of appreciation, compounded with systemic challenges, leads many talented individuals to leave the profession for better-paying corporate roles or overseas teaching opportunities.
So, What Needs to Change?
To support high school teachers and ensure the quality of education doesn’t suffer, systemic reform is very important. Here is what institutions can and should do:
- Fair Pay: Institutions should make sure that salaries reflect the workload and qualifications.
- Mental Health Support: Introduce wellness programs for teachers.
- Training & Development: Continuous upskilling for digital tools, classroom diversity, and inclusive teaching.
- Reduced Admin Load: Use technology to streamline paperwork.
- Teacher Involvement in Policy: Include teachers in decision-making at the school and board level.
- Recognition Programs: Regular and genuine recognition—not just symbolic should become a norm.
Teaching is More Than a Job
It’s a calling. A mission. And perhaps one of the most impactful professions on the planet. In India, we celebrate engineers, CEOs, and IAS officers. But each one of them sat in a classroom at some point—being shaped, guided, and inspired by a teacher.
The idea is to not wait until burnout or attrition forces us to rethink our priorities. Let’s start today—by acknowledging, appreciating, and advocating for the lives behind the blackboards. Because when teachers thrive, students soar. And when students soar, nations rise.
