SIXTY-SEVEN? That's not so old ... especially for an ESL instructor who positively adores teaching those not even half his age.

In fact, speaking from a purely personal point of view, this activity has done nothing less than reinforce my enthusiasm for the students, the industry as a whole, and the English language. And, as for the roughly 5 years I spent in Asia in the rôles of teacher and assistant administrator of foreign instructors, I found the entire experience both educational and inspirational.

It has now been more than 13 years since I first stumbled my way into an ESL class, while my zeal for the undertaking has not weakened one iota.

But, what has happened since 9/11? Apparently, every industry in the USA has been adversely affected in one way or another ... ESL hardly being an exception. Student visas have been severely restricted on both sides of the Atlantic and Pacific, while schools have generally been having a hard time of it. Some have even called it quits in the face of what can be rightfully described as harsh circumstances, while, at a minimum, classes have certainly been reduced in many schools.

Of course we all recall those "good old days" when both teachers and students were overflowing with enthusiasm, while owners could boast of filling their coffers with seemingly endless profits. Alas, now it is quite a different story. In this time of comparative woe, many schools have been forced to either reduce their teaching staffs or become ultra-selective when replacing departing personnel.

During my own recent job-seeking campaign, one employer leveled with me by declaring that he no longer hires teachers over 40 years of age because (A) the students insist on associating with instructors who are closer to their own age group; (B) that he usually had to wind up paying the veteran teacher an hourly rate higher than that of his younger colleagues; and (C) that the older teacher comes across as too fixed and infexible as compared to his/her younger counterpart who, although possessing far less experience and confidence, offers a greater sense of "obedience!"

That's what the man said. It is quite difficult to believe that the ESL industry has turned out to be like so many other capital ventures: a quest for the "holy buck" at the risk of both educational standards and professional ethics. Logically speaking, the older veteran of ESL would have far more to offer his students than the younger, less-experienced candidate who is merely one or two steps from the university graduation podium.

Alas, this assumption no longer has merit in many ESL schools, particularly here in the United States. Call it required exigencies in the face of unusual times, it nonetheless adds up to what a slightly more paranoid individual might understandably term as "a conspiracy!" Be that as it may, there's no denying that a imbalance DOES exist. In fact, it is a problem that, in the humble opinion of this dismayed sexagenarian, appears to be growing worse by the day. In fact, this issue has been so much on my mind of late that, just last night, I dreamt of myself proudly leading a mass demonstration of unemployed ESL "oldsters," with deafening shouts and banners flying high!

On second thought, it is far better to continue waging a solid written protest for the eventual acknowledgement of all -- both employers and teachers alike. EQUALITY is what I foster. Sound familiar? You bet your "Azar" it does! Even those of us who have been made to feel that we should be retired, banished, or deceased, there still exists the spark of enthusiasm enhanced by the existence of years of expertise in a field of endeavor so very important and so entirely within the realm of our capability.

Amen.