Each year, Teacher’s Day is celebrated on September 5 in India. This day is a tribute to educators for their vital role in shaping students’ lives. Teachers’ Day also marks the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, born on September 5, 1888, the first Vice President of India and the second President of India. Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was also a teacher, scholar and a philosopher, who was posthumously awarded the highest civilian honour of the country – the Bharat Ratna.
Parents gave life but it is those who educate that teach the art of living well. It is on the school benches that children learn discipline, respect and value of time and person. It is in the temple of education under the teacher that the child learns to take responsibility, accept failure as stepping stones for success. It is the teacher who motivates and infuse hope in the students to face audience and deal with stage fear, so on and so forth. Yes, they provide socio-emotional support especially to the vulnerable ones.
The teacher also rapidly does remote learning in managing the new digital tools and gets abreast with the modern technology. One should not forget, even on a red alert day, it is the teacher who walks against the current. When the department of education issues circular declaring holiday for students, the teacher is asked to report on duty. They have exhibited their great leadership and innovation in ensuring that ‘Learning never stops and no learner is left
behind’ – this was manifested too when the world was gripped by the deadly pandemic, Covid-19.
One should also know that parents play a key role as teachers. The parents are the first teachers and it is from the parent’s children learn the ethics of living and thus, the upbringing plays a vital role in the formation of the child before even the child climbs the stairs of the school or warm the school benches.
This year, the theme for Teacher’s Day celebration is ‘Teachers at the heart of education recovery’. At the World Teacher’s Day 2021, on this very same theme, UNESCO, UNICEF and Educational International issued a joint message. ‘Now is the time to recognize the exceptional role teachers play and to empower them with the training, professional development, support and working conditions they need to deploy their talent.’
A successful education recovery starts with ensuring teachers’ well-being, adequate remuneration and safety. A successful education recovery calls for investment in more teachers and in training and professional development opportunities, so that educators may enrich their practice and gain the skills to integrate and use educational technologies effectively to support learning and adapt to a diversity of learners’ needs.
Education recovery will be successful if it is conducted hand in hand with teachers – giving them voice and space to participate in decision-making and respecting their pedagogical knowledge and expertise as one reimagine the way out of the crisis and build more resilient education systems.
Surely, a teacher is most important for any society because she/he shows people the right path in life. While the teachers need to be more imaginative, creative and really innovative to deal with the challenges lying ahead for them and for their learners.
With gratitude for your self-sacrifice, empathy and motherliness, all credentials, knowledge, critical thinking, and all other faculties of intelligence with which you nurture and mould the clay put into your hands – we say thank you teachers and God bless you.
