Special on Teachers Day – 5 September 2020

By Lalit Garg 

The former President of India, great philosopher, educationist Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday is celebrated on 5 September as Teachers’ Day all over the country. Recently, a new national education policy has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extensive discussion has been started on education and the role of teachers in the country. In the new education policy of India, special attention has been given to the qualification and training of teachers apart from the education system.

An ‘equal teacher and equal education’ policy will be worked out across the country. Teacher’s Day is an occasion; we celebrate this day as an opportunity to appreciate and acknowledge the efforts and hard work of teachers in refining education and creating responsible individuals. The main purpose of this day is to underline the importance of teachers in the life of a student. It is also a day of deep meditation on the blurring role of the teachers, with gratitude for their contribution.

The teacher’s role may have changed at the present time, but his importance and responsibility of personality-building has become more relevant. Because without the enhancement of all-round ability, it is very difficult to walk with the world and to sustain oneself. Only a little resolve and ability to do everything can improve one’s personality. It is teachers who create such personalities. According to Mahatma Gandhi, all-round development means – soul, brain, speech and deeds – all of them should be in balance.

According to Swami Vivekananda, all-round development means – huge with heart, high with mind and great with karma. For the development of an all-round personality, teachers used to try to scrape them all – ethics, rituals, behavior and ideas. In the midst of all these discussions, we will see what such shortcomings were left in the education policy of 1986, which needed to be brought to the new National Education Council to address it. Also, will this new national education policy be able to fulfill the objectives that Mahatma Gandhi and Swami Vivekananda dreamed of?

 It is necessary to first look at what is ‘education’. Education literally means the act of learning and teaching, but if we look at its broader meaning, education is a continuous social process in any society which has an objective and thereby refine the development and behavior of the inner forces of man.  By increasing knowledge and skills through education, human beings are made eligible and responsible citizens.

It is well known that teachers play a big and important role in shaping the life of man and have power to shape the whole world. They help every student in many ways to achieve success, such as increasing the level of knowledge, skill, confidence etc. and make life in the right shape. Therefore, every student also has some responsibility for his loyal teacher. We all need to heartily congratulate our teacher as an obedient student and thank him for his selfless service throughout the life of teaching, as well as for shaping the lives of our countless students.

So that teachers continue to give their specific responsibility towards the society with full readiness. On this occasion, the contribution of teachers in their lives is remembered by students all over the country. Thank you for his contribution and encouragement. This is the day to say thank you to your teachers and to thank them for their contribution.

Missile Man of India, former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has said that if a country is corruption free and has become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel that there are three major social members for it who can make a difference, they are father, mother and teacher.This magnificent statement of Dr.Kalam is still resonating in the mind of every person. This quote symbolizes the influence of teachers on the mind and society of every individual as a whole. Teachers who stand immediately after the parents as leadership is actually an essential part of everyone’s life. They shape and develop a person’s talents and abilities.
Teachers have the most inspiring work and a great responsibility in this world.

Teachers are a repository of knowledge who believes in imparting their knowledge to their disciples which will help their disciples to improve the world in future. This will create a generation that is bright and intelligent and one who understands the world in the same way as it is and who is inspired not by emotions but by logic and facts.

 According to Dr.Radhakrishnan, teachers play an important role in the creation of the country and that is why they deserve more respect. ”In these contexts, the new education policy requires efforts to be a teacher for a masterly position, to create such an environment. It is required that education should be a mission for the teacher, not a profession.

To make a craftsman statue, like cutting the stone somewhere, sorting it somewhere, smoothing the floor, carving it somewhere and exposing the covering, in the same way, every teacher will make his student’s personality look like it can be valued and refined. Every moment his teachings live as inspiration, as power.

Every teacher provides new life by eliminating the prohibitive and vile attitudes of his / her student. Varuna is the god of water; just as water removes the filth of clothes etc., the teacher removes the mental illusions of the student and seeding obligations and gives new and clean appearance to his personality. The moon provides peace and joy to all, in the same way; the motivations of the teacher give the student mental happiness and ultimate peace.

In the words of the great philosopher Acharya Mahapragya – the task of creating personality is very difficult. Only a selfless and aware teacher can create another personality. ‘We saw the passion of a teacher in the film Super-30. In this film, the education movement of Prof.Anand has been effectively presented.Despite many characteristics, the teacher’s position has been blurred today.

As Mahatma Gandhi said – if one school opens, then 100 jails will be closed. But today it is going upside down. As the number of schools increases, the locations of jails are getting smaller. The number of prisons is also increasing in the same proportion. The current education system and teachers are also responsible for the increase in violence and crime. Educated and intelligent are committing more crimes than uneducated and foolish. They can think of more tips to cover their sins and faults.

The teacher is responsible for this situation. Similarly, generosity is the storehouse of education, but today it is being seen that poisonous germs of jealousy are produced in the new generation from student life itself. The result can be seen widely on all systems of society. Narcissism and jealousy is also a big reason for the tension, conflict and disintegration happening in family and social life today. Conflict of personality is also increasing due to this. What is the reason that such errors are happening in the minds of the new generation? Why are the teachers not able to create a generation with all-round qualities?

 In view of these conditions, there should be extensive brainstorming and thinking about the role of the teacher in the new education policy.
‘Sa Vidya or Vimuktaye’, is one of the major interpretations of the Indian education world. It has been inscribed in big letters as a sacred mantra on the walls of thousands of Saraswaticenters. According to this subhashita, true education is that which liberates the student from the shackles of negative feelings and tendencies.

But it is a matter of concern that only teachers of India are ignoring it today. It seems that their goal is only intellectual development of students. Now the education system has become a business rather than a mission. There is great expectation from the new education policy in getting teachers out of these situations.