food for thought

Teachers’ Day is being celebrated in Assam along with other parts of the country. Functions are being organized in educatiol institutes to thank and honour teachers. Hopefully, there will be as much substance as style in celebrating September 5, the day of birth of a great son of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishn. One of the great philosophers of his time who graced the office of President of India with great distinction, Dr Radhakrishn had himself once expressed the wish that his birthday be celebrated as Teachers’ Day. Dr APJ Abdul Kalam too wanted to be remembered as a teacher rather than as the country’s President, and passed away while talking to students. Prime Minister rendra Modi while interacting with students on Teachers’ Day eve, said that the mother gives birth while ‘the guru gives life’. In this context, he also put forward an interesting proposal that instead of character certificates, students should be given ‘aptitude certificates’ which can help them pursue a career of their choice. The Assam government this year is carrying out a two-day programme after a month-long publicity drive to promote the teacher-student relationship. Schools and colleges have been instructed to ensure broad participation of students, so that serving and retired teachers can be felicitated with much enthusiasm. But the lot of teachers in the State is not very encouraging, especially those working in many private and venture institutes. It is only because the government has long been slacking in its responsibility to provide opportunities for education, that such institutes got the space to come up. Many teachers are working at low pay or without any remuneration at all. There are unforgivable anomalies in the appointment of TET-passed teachers, putting a huge question mark over primary education in the State. And yet elementary education is a fundamental right in India which Assam too must ensure with adequate number of qualified and trained teachers. Secondary education and higher education too are now countrywide missions, while the need to effectively link up vocatiol education with the market has never been greater. If the country is to position itself as a ‘knowledge superpower’, it must empower its teachers to educate and impart skills to its huge manpower.