S.

CHAND GROUP WISHES ALL AUTHORS & TEACHERS

A VERY HAPPY TEACHERS DAY
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Salutations to that Sadguru, who is the Creator, the Sustainer and .,.r
the Destroyer- of this Universe; who alone is the abso lute Supreme Reality.
L t 'lll llU I SY II IL I II NDU I NOi DA/DELH i, SUNDAY, SEPTE MBER 1, 2013 )

NOBLE PROFESSION OR SORRIEST OF TRADES?

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T .Rajagopalan
Teaching may be the noblest of professions but unfortunately it has
been turned into the sorriest of trades. Nowadays one rarely finds

,
teachers of inspiring stature - those who, unmindful of the
~- ·:; difficulties they face in the rough and tumble of their daily lives in a
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chaotic society, strive hard to inculcate time-honoured values in the
minds of learners. The close bond between the mentors and
,~~ learners is missing, with the result teaching has become a formality.
4 '- A society which values education must ensure that its teachers are
well looked after. Over the years, salaries have no doubt improved
but the question arises "Is the profession attracting the best?"
There are multitudes of people who are lured by the higher pay
alone but who have no innate passion for teaching. Who are the
losers? Obviously, the young ones who will be our future citizens. A
mechanised system of instruction will rob education of its purpose
and teaching of its inspiration.
It is not by simply increasing the number of schools, colleges and
universities that education can be promoted. It is by improving the
quality of teachers that the avowed purpose will be achieved.
- .... ...
Recruiting the right type of people, no doubt, is a mammoth task but

T eachers form th e pivot of the education system all over

the world . From time immemorial, they have been
engaged in a war on ignorance, prejudice and greed. They
are the exemplars and role models in a society torn asunder by
factions and superstition.
it can be done if there is a will on the part of authorities. Brick and
mortar alone does not make for good education; the quality of the
human material does. With such a large reservoir of human
resource and talent in our country, surely finding teachers with a
missionary zeal will not be impossible.
They are the ones who inspire youth to achieve and rise to higher Given the huge diversity of regions, languages and cultural
levels of thinking. It is fitting and proper that September 5 (Dr. S. traditions, the education system in India has gone through several
Radhakrishnan 's birthday) every year is observed as Teachers' Day. vicissitudes but it has managed to remain intact. Value education, or
There has been a phenomenal expansion of educational what was earlier called moral education, must be made a vibrant
opportunities - the number of schools, colleges, universities and part of the schooling of children .
professional institutions has grown manifold in the last two The humanities and social sciences vis-a-vis pure sciences and
decades. These are, of course, of various hues catering for different engineering must be given due importance. Above everything else,
sections who are eager for the betterment of their living education must have as its aim the balanced, all-round
conditions . From the lowest to most affluent segments, people development of the learners who must be enabled to realise their
look to education as a means of fulfilling their desires. full potential. Only then will emerge a harmonious society with
One vital question arises in this contest - what about the quality ingrained cultural traditions set on the path of scientific progress.
of teaching? The main object of teaching is not to explain meanings This ultimately will ensure the wellbeing of all people. Teachers have
but to knock at the door of the mind, as Rabindranath Tagore said. a significant role to play here.
Teaching at all levels is no doubt a great gift and to ignite the spark (The writer is a former Education Correspondent of The Hindu. His
of knowledge in the minds of learners calls for inner resources of a email: trajagopalan@yahoo.com )
high order on the part of the teacher. To put it in a nutshell, it is
It is not by simply increasing the number of schools and colleges
astonishing how much a hungry mind can absorb with a little,
that education can be promoted.
experienced supervision .
Publishers Monthly I September 2013 I 2