By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/BHUBANESWAR: The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu conferred National Awards on teachers from across the country at a function held in New Delhi on September 5, on Teachers’ Day.
Addressing the gathering, the President said that teachers have to prepare such citizens who are not only educated but also sensitive, honest and enterprising. She stated that moving ahead in life is success, but the meaning of life lies in working for the welfare of others. We should have compassion. Our conduct should be ethical. A successful life lies in the meaningful life. Teaching these values to the students is the duty of teachers.
The President said that teachers play the most important role in success of any education system. Teaching is not just a job. It is a sacred mission of human development. If a child is not able to perform well, then the education system and teachers have a bigger responsibility. She pointed out that often teachers pay special attention only to those students who perform well in exams. However excellent academic performance is only one dimension of excellence. A child may be a very good sportsperson; some child might have leadership skills; another child enthusiastically participates in social welfare activities. The teacher has to identify the natural talent of each child and bring it out.
The President said that according to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, if a teacher himself does not continuously acquire knowledge then he/she cannot teach in true sense. She expressed confidence that all the teachers will continue the process of acquiring knowledge. She said that by doing this, their teaching will remain more relevant and interesting.
