Celebrating Teachers’ Day- Honouring our Educators

Teacher’s Day is indeed a special occasion celebrated reverentially in India on 5th September every year to honour our educators and acknowledge their notable contributions to the society. It is celebrated to highlight the importance of teachers and the significant role they play in our lives. It coincides with the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan,a passionate teacher and a highly distinguished philosopher. He strongly believed that “Teachers should be the best minds in the country”. On this occasion, we must also remember the contributions of Smt. Savithri bai Phule (1831-1897), first woman teacher of our country, a social reformer and a poet. She, along with her husband Sri Jyothiba Phule, strived hard to abolish discrimination based on caste and gender and pioneered women’s education in India.

Another pioneer in women’s education and who also focused on upliftment of people belonging to deprived classes that comes to my mind is that of Dharmaratnakara Rai Bahadur Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar (1827-1910). Sri Arcot Narrainswamy Mudaliar established RBANM’S Educational Charities, a trust, in 1873 with the noble idea of providing quality education at an affordable cost to students hailing from low income and marginalised communities. He established RBANM’S Govindammal Girls’ Senior Primary School at  Ulsoor,Bengaluru in 1886 and RBANM’S Thirukulathar HPS Primary School in 1883 in Ulsoor, Bengaluru thus contributing to women’s education and education of children belonging to deprived sections of the society about 150 years ago. I feel proud to share with readers that I was blessed and got an opportunity to work as the Principal of RBANM’s FG College for nearly 27 years. On this auspicious occasion of Teachers’ Day, we shall pay rich tributes to the memory of these great teachers and educational philanthropists.

History

In India, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 5^th September every year to  mark the birth anniversary of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was a great teacher, an inspirer, a philosopher, an erudite scholar and the second President of India. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan assumed office as the second President of India in 1962. His students and admirers approached him to seek permission to celebrate 5th September as a very special day. He instead, requested them to celebrate his birthday as Teachers’ Day to remember and acknowledge the invaluable contributions of teachers to the society. Since 1962, September 5^th is celebrated as Teachers’ Day in India. Globally, since 1994, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5th in appreciation of the significant role that teachers play in our lives.

World Teachers’ Day commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of 1966 Recommendations concerning the status of teachers, a policy document by International Labour Organization (ILO) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The recommendations set the standards for the rights and responsibilities of educators. The focus of this year’s World Teachers’ Day (2024) is on ” Empowering Educators, Strengthening Resilience, Building Sustainability”. Many countries celebrate Teachers’ Day on 5^th October. However, in some countries, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on different dates. For instance, in USA, Teacher’s Day is celebrated during first full week of May, in UK, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on 19^th June. 

The Theme for Teachers’ Day 2024 in India is “ Empowering Educators for a Sustainable Future”. This year’s theme emphasizes the importance of providing teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to foster a generation that is socially responsible, environmentally conscious and fully equipped to face future challenges of the modern  world. 

Brief  Biography of Dr.S. Radhakrishnan

Dr S. Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tiruttani, a small village in the present state of Tamilnadu.  Sri Sarvepalli Veera swami and Smt. Sitamma were his parents. His early childhood was spent in Tiruttani and Tirupathi. He studied in Voorhees College in Vellore. He graduated from Madras Christian College, Chennai in 1901. He completed his Master’s degree in philosophy also from the same college. Radhakrishnan hailed from a lower middle class family. His father could not afford  Radhakrishnan’s educational expenses. But Radhakrishnan pursued his education with financial support that flowed in the form of scholarships. He was considered as an authority on classics of Hindu Philosophy. The book “Indian Philosophy” authored by him stands even today as a master piece  in philosophical literature.

Delving into his academic career, in 1909, he was appointed as Lecturer in the Department of Philosophy at Madras Presidency College, in 1918 appointed as Professor of Philosophy at University of Mysore, in 1921 appointed as Professor of Philosophy at Calcutta University, in 1931 appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University, in 1939 as Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University, in 1946 as Ambassador to UNESCO, in 1948 as The Chairman of University Education Commission, in 1949 as Ambassador to Soviet Union.

In 1952, he was elected as the first Vice -President of Independent India. After serving two terms as Vice-President of India, he was elected as the second President of India, He was decorated with the highest civilian award Bharatha Rathna in 1954. He departed from this world for his heavenly abode in 1975. His exceptional academic achievements and intense passion for teaching led him to highly distinguished career as teacher, philosopher and statesman. He was of the firm opinion that teachers lay the foundation for a civilised, ethical and healthy Society.

Significance of Teachers’ Day.

Teachers’ Day assumes great significance as it is a day totally dedicated to expressing gratitude to teachers and saluting them for their unwavering commitment and dedication in shaping the future of hundreds of youngsters. Teachers are the pillars of our Society. A good teacher makes learning a lovable and memorable experience, empowers students to reach pinnacles of glory in their careers. Apart from playing prominent role in the lives of children, teachers involve themselves in moulding character of students making them responsible citizens of our country

It is an undeniable fact that teachers play significant role in building a healthy society. Good teachers leave indelible impressions in the minds of their students. For this reason, teachers are aptly called nation builders. The Kothari Education Commission Report of 1964 begins with the quote “Destiny of a nation is now being shaped in her classrooms”. This is not a mere rhetoric. In view of above, it is our bounden duty to remember unique contributions of our teachers who are responsible for what we are today and pay respects to them.

An Ideal Teacher Commands Respect from Students

In our country, teaching profession is regarded as a noble profession. I would go one step ahead and state that teaching profession is the noblest of all the noble professions. It is said that they there are five noble professions – pastor/priest who looks after the spiritual aspects in the society, doctor who plays an important role in maintaining health of the society, soldier willing to sacrifice his/her life for the sake of the motherland, a lawyer who takes care of legal aspects. But to produce these professionals, a teacher is indispensable. Hence, teaching profession is considered as noblest of all the noble professions. An excellent teacher enjoys an exalted and a respectable position in the society and adored by his/her students. In Taittriya Upanishad, it is remarked that a teacher is equivalent to God-” Acharya Devo Bhava”. The crux of the matter is “who in an ideal teacher?”. Basically, whoever wants to become a teacher and intend to raise to the distinguished position of an excellent teacher/ideal teacher, ought to possess  the following traits .

• Person should opt for the teaching profession by choice ,not by chance.
• Should have intense passion for teaching
• Should have deep it not adequate knowledge in the chosen discipline.
• Should have unquenchable thirst for acquisition and enhancement of knowledge,
• Should have forbearance and mindset to treat students as his/her own children.
• Should be empathetic towards students’ problems
• Should have capacity to create curiosity amongst students
• Should be innovative and creative
• Should possess good communication and inter personal skills
• Should be willing to learn new things and be a life long learner
• Should have intellectual capacity to understand the diversity in the learning abilities of students and accordingly change his/her teaching style.
• should have impeccable conduct and character, and be a role model for students
• Should not distinguish between professional conduct and personal conduct.
• Should identify talents hidden in students, nurture them and create opportunities for their enhancement
•  Should maintain fairness while interacting with students

A teacher who integrates all these traits in his/her personality, acts as an academic parent and academic leader will undoubtedly commands respect from students and will be remembered by the students all though their lives. In fact, Celebration of Teachers’ Day is essentially to remember such dedicated and committed teachers and pay respects in recognition of their services. Hence, every teacher should aim to become an ideal teacher.

Celebrations

Teachers’ Day is celebrated with pomp and gaiety, most importantly with intense touch of gratitude and respect in all educational institutions across the country. Various events which include cultural programmes, skits and speeches are organised to honour the teachers. Several institutions organize award ceremonies to recognise the outstanding services rendered by their educators. In some schools and colleges, students assume the role of teachers, engaging classes and organising fun games for teachers. Teachers are often revered by showering flowers. Teachers’ Day promises to be a day filled with celebration, gratitude, appreciation, and recognition.

Challenges and Governments’ Apathy.

Today’s teachers face variety of challenges like adapting to new technologies, managing large classrooms and catering to diverse learning styles and needs and uncertain future. Despite these facts, teachers need to remain dedicated to the noble mission of educating and nurturing students who are the future citizens of the country.

After having said so much about the unique and significant role played by teachers, let us look at the existing plight of teachers both in private and public institutions. In public institutions, the burden is borne by the guest lecturers who are paid peanuts, compared to regular teachers and in private sector, with exceptions, teachers are paid meagre pay package without any service or retirement benefits. In several institutions teachers are not paid for all the twelve months of the year. On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, public speeches extolling the services of teachers are made and forgotten. No serious attempts are being made to address the issues relating to the services of teachers.Therefore, it is imperative  on the part of the policy makers and the Governments to ponder over these issues and find long lasting solutions to the problems. On the part of the teachers, they have to understand the sacredness of the profession and stand up to the expectations of students, parents, and the society at large.

I conclude with the quote

An average teacher teaches

A good teacher explains

An ideal teacher inspires.