The purpose of the teacher is not to cram the student's head with facts but to prepare them for a life of purity and sincerity. This total commitment to character-building is the highest goal of a teacher. What   is   important   is   that   the child be exposed to an education that predominantly teaches values such as obedience, care, forgiveness, respect and truthfulness etc.

Education should aim at the balanced growth of the total personality of a student through the training of his spirit, intellect, his rational self, feelings and bodily senses. This can only be done by a teacher. He not only caters the spiritual   development   of the   student but   is   also   responsible   for the development of the soul—the mind and body.

A teacher is also a guide to lead students to the righteous path. It is his duty to produce a wholesome child who carries out his obligations as set out by the precepts of Islam. The teacher's directive is to educate a child by giving him or her mannerisms and etiquette that will serve the child and community, and ultimately make the child understand the purpose of his life and to provide the child with knowledge that will equip him/her to pursue both worldly gains and most importantly after-life gains. Such a child does not feel coerced, stifled or imprisoned but feels motivated, free and eager. Knowledge without character = Incomplete Education. The teacher can foster students desire, care about and act upon “the good”.

 Through character education the teacher can inculcate core ethical values, such as caring, honesty, fairness and responsibility, and respect for self and others. Character education strives to develop students' intrinsic motivation and commitment to do what is right. Parents and community members should be full partners in the character-building effort and have to play a cardinal role in the building up of the character of the next generation. The teacher’s role is particularly important and has been compared with that of the prophets. Every prophet is essentially a teacher. On more than one vision, Providence has changed the fate of nations through effective and well directed teaching. This profession is so important and so sacrosanct that the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) proudly declared it to be a prominent part of his personality and prophet hood. If a teacher realizes the significance of his job, the tremendous responsibility he is shouldering, the share he has in the future development of the nation, and consequently the accountability he will have to lace in the Hereafter, he will at once shudder with the idea of facing the grave consequences of any dereliction on his part. Indeed it is an ideal teacher at the climax of his performance that brings out a positive change in the overall behavior of his students by leading them to a lofty character and to exemplary morals. While commenting on the role of the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H) as a teacher, Robert L. Gulick, writes: “Only the most provincial concept of education would gainsay the legitimacy of placing Mohammad (P.B.U.H) among the great educators of all times for, from the pragmatic standpoint, he who elevates human behavior is a prince among educators.”

Teachers have to develop the personality of students. The most important component of personality development of character is developing the spirit of service. When an individual learns to invest one's surplus strength, knowledge and power to serve other people, he or she becomes a person, develops a new energy resource, namely character- energy. This is the third and highest human energy resource, over and above the first tow. namely, physical energy and intellectual energy.

Whatever Pakistan will be in the next generation will depend upon what we do to our students today in the classroom. The students must prepare themselves for future challenges, they should not compromise on their identity wherever they go and whatever they do, they must exert to protect their values.

A teacher above all should never forget his own impact on students' character development. He can make a difference!

Let me end by giving some quotations on character and character building.

1. Watch your thoughts, they become words. Watch your words, they become actions, Watch your actions, they become habits, watch your habits; they become character, watch your character; it becomes your destiny, (unknown source)

2. Character is always lost when a high ideal is sacrificed on the altar of conformity and popularity (unknown source)

3. Character is the foundation stone upon which one must build to win respect.   Just as   no worthy building can be erected on a weak foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character. (R.C.Samsel)

4. The four cornerstones of character on which the structure of a nation is built are: initiative, imagination, individuality and independence.

5. Fame is a vapor, popularity an accident, and riches take wings. Only one thing endures and that is character.

6. Character is made by many acts; it may be lost by a single one. (Unknown source)

7. Good character is like a rubber ball — thrown down hard- it bounces right back. Good reputation is like a crystal ball — thrown fro gain-shattered and cracked. (A.L.Linall)

8. Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved. (Helen Keller)

Prof Jamashaid Ahmed