ABSTRACT
The criticism of teachers has a long history. Perhaps this criticism derives from the fear or suspicion of being beholden to anybody or owing personal success to others. There is a deep-seated tradition of depicting teachers as those who ‘cannot do’ anything worth while, as if ‘doing’ were defined as anything pursued for personal profit. From the portrayal of ‘the schoolmaster’ in Dickens’s Our Mutual Friend to the more formalized disparagement by successive government ministers, teachers, for all their dedication and untraceable influence, are an easy target for attack. They devote themselves to the success of others. They give away their knowledge freely. Their actions are driven essentially by missionary instincts. In this mercenary age, formed by a culture of selfishness and instant self-gratification, teachers are easy to despise.
