MALAYSIA - IT still brings tears to Puan Sri Aisha Shamsuddin to be greeted "hello, cikgu" by former students.

The 68-year-old grandmother of 14 left the teaching profession in 1987.

But the "cikgu" status is something the 2003 Tokoh Guru recipient will always cherish.

"Teachers are the only ones who get to be called 'cikgu' long after leaving the profession or retirement, whether your students are menteris besar or a normal citizen," said the former headmistress of SMP Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur.

She said teachers would boast if one of their students became famous.

Although it is regarded as a noble profession to educate future leaders of the country, teachers have a competitor in satellite television and the Internet.

Aisha said students disputed teachers' lessons based on what they had watched on television or read on the Internet.

Teachers should listen and tell students they would check on the information and get back to them the next day, she added.

"The last thing a teacher should do is to be defensive and tell the students off."

The former Petaling District education officer said teachers should keep abreast of students' interests and use creative ways to deliver lessons.

Former SMK Assunta headmistress Datin Paduka Sister Enda Ryan said although students could search the Internet to access the same knowledge the teacher was imparting, the human element was important.

"A teacher can leave an impression on students when he discusses issues and listens to ideas raised by them," said the 1990 Tokoh Guru Selangor recipient.

She said students were at an idealistic and impressionable age and needed guidance from a teacher to listen and supplement their ideas.

"It is an awesome responsibility for teachers to influence and instil values in students and that's why you need teachers."

She added that teachers should mete out punishment to students according to the students' character and the misdeeds committed.

"Sometimes, punishment brings more harm than good so it is important to know the characters of students before giving out the punishment."

She said that when she was a headmistress, a naughty student would be asked to change her uniform and wear a coloured dress.

"It was assumed then you had let your school down by your misdeeds and since you had disgraced the school, you should not wear the uniform," she said.

She added that this sort of punishment was rare and given out only for terrible misdeeds.

M. Thavasothy Pillai, a former history teacher and 2007 Tokoh Guru Selangor recipient, said most working parents took the side of their children and not that of the teachers, to make up for not spending enough time with their children.

He said parents and teachers would be in conflict on the issue of punishment for their children.

"If parents were to give more time and attention to their children, this conflict would not arise."