A video that recently went viral on social media showed former teachers of Indian education technology start-up Physics Wallah breaking down into tears while interacting with students. Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, Sarvesh Dixit, and Aditya Anand are among those who left the ed-tech platform and started a separate platform of their own called ‘Sankalp’. In the video, the teachers alleged that they were falsely accused of taking Rs 5 crore from rival platform Adda247 to quit PhysicsWallah.

In the video that went viral, former Physics Wallah teachers Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, and Sarvesh Dixit alleged that Physics Wallah teacher Pankaj Sijairya falsely accused them of taking Rs 5 crore from rival platform Adda247 to quit PhysicsWallah. The teachers said that they resigned from Physics Wallah because the atmosphere at the ed-tech company was no longer favorable to students.

They claimed that PhysicsWallah’s mission to provide good, affordable education got sidelined as the organization grew bigger. The educators also mentioned that they had provided prior notice and also ensured that they had completed the entire syllabus before leaving because they are concerned for their students. They also alleged that there have been strikes on their YouTube channel Sankalp by PhysicsWallah. The teachers explained more about their decision to leave Physics Wallah in videos shared on the YouTube channel of ‘Sankalp’. They assured that they will continue to work for their students.

Former Physics Wallah teachers Tarun Kumar, Manish Dubey, and Sarvesh Dixit broke down in tears while discussing their decision to leave the company. The teachers showed WhatsApp messages they had sent to Prateek Maheshwari in January, expressing their frustration and depression with the situation at Physics Wallah.
In one of them sent to prateek Maheswari by former teachers says “Sir I am highly dipresssd and frustrated, Es system ko banane me sub kuch laga diya including health… Mere life ke sabse badi mistake mene aap ke baat man ker kota aagya family ko bhi problem Me dala. Aap ne keha tha ye aap ka sacrifice hi company ke liye…”.

In another message they said “Sir me System se emotional connect tha, kyo ke India ke baccho ke liye kuchh kerna chahta tha.. Sir aap ko kya lagta hai mujhe kabhi offers nahi mele hogai. Per meine kabhi unko entertain nahi kiya. System ko priority de Es system me sub kuch dene ke baad mujhe kya mila insult, dipression, family distractions, health issues. Aap ke kahne per kota aagya, online classes with complete load and offline classes complete management … rat 3 baje tak kam kiya hai ….bina complain kiya. Sir ab nehi,”. The emotional response from the teachers sparked a response from students on their YouTube channel, who showed support for the teachers and their new platform.

Teachers who are passionate about their job can teach their students in the best way possible. They make a big difference in the lives of their students. However, not all teachers are mature enough to handle situations. Sometimes, they want attention when they see others getting it. Even with their flaws, they deserve respect for their love of teaching.

When some of the Physical Wallah teachers decided to leave, they explained why they were leaving. This is important because students might wonder why their teachers left. However, the Chemistry teacher, Pankaj Sir, blamed them for taking money from Adda 247 and planning to defame Physics Wallah. He accused them of defamation. Giving reasons for leaving is not defamation, but accusing someone of plotting against you is. Physics Wallah and Adda 247 are both businesses with more than 10 million downloads on Playstore and share some investors. So, it's not right to accuse anyone of conspiring against you. In fact, it's completely fine if adda247 offers them more money to join their institute since seeking growth is not a crime. Sometime before, Physics Wallah has also been accused of poaching by Apni Kaksha, but we still support Physics Wallah because it's common for companies to seek good resources.

You might have a very noble mission, but the investors do not invest in your idea because of your mission, they are just interested in growing their money. That does not mean that you should not get investment because even if your ideas are great, you still need money to execute them and impact a larger segment. But it is realistic to note that you might need to compromise somewhere because you are now required to also listen to the investors. Playing with the emotions of students is not good and doesn't suit you as a teacher. Students should be allowed to choose whom they want to study with, and what content and teaching methods they prefer. No one should be forced emotionally.

What do you think?