From the captivating landscapes to soul-enticing heritage, from the rich culture and diverse history to unique joyful festivals, India is a gorgeous amalgamation of varied traditions, languages, and people. India, the golden sparrow, always believed in "Unity in Diversity" spreads the message of peace and oneness, and takes pride in our traditions and our unparalleled knowledge of Vedas and Upanishads.
When India was suffering from the tentacles of British slavery plagued by torture and clutched by poverty, our great leaders envisioned that India would become the pioneer of the the world as Vishwa Guru Bharat and become ATMANIRBHAR (self-reliant) in the future. This aroused India from deep slumber and invoked a strong message to the youth to give their best for India’s spiritual, economic, social, and national renaissance.
"Ask not what your country can do for you, rather ask yourself what you can do for your country."
India’s Prime Minister Honourable Narendra Modi, gave a public call amidst Covid-19 pandemic sensitizing about how the 21st century must belong to India.
“We must strive to make the 21st century India’s century and the path to do that is ‘education and self-reliance.”
Mahatma Gandhi aptly pointed out that education is an effective instrument for social
transformation and not merely a tool for employment.
Education even after seven decades of post-independence, remains an unfulfilled dream evident from the unemployment statistics amongst youth and the malfunction of various government schemes. For a long time, our current education system has relied on traditional classical teaching that involved a teacher addressing a group of students in a four-walled classroom.Here comes the significance of a teacher, a Guru who is the best mentor and guide in a student's life. He is a pioneer who builds the Vyaktitva vikaas (personality development) that will nurture a young India with a 40% of youth-force, the yuva-shakti for a strong and vibrant nation. A leader of tomorrow is created by a teacher who enlightens the light of knowledge and removes the darkness of illiteracy.
In Swami Vivekananda’s words,
“We must have life-building, Man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. We want that education by which character is formed, the strength of mind is increased, and intellect is expanded and by which one can stand on one's own feet".
The various initiatives taken by the government to promote education like “Each One, Teach one”, BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO, SARVA SIKSHA ABHIYAN and tagline- PADHEGA INDIA TABHI TOH BADHEGA INDIA is surely taking India closer to its dream. The new National Education Policy 2020 is a significant step in the education system that aims to strengthen research and development, innovative applications, and entrepreneurship in the country and assure transparent governance. To achieve the target of 50 percent GER by 2035 by the new National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is definitely a way forward. NEP promises an education system with skill enhancement and capacity building with the concept of ‘earn while you learn that focuses on-
1) Free and compulsory basic primary education.
2) Skill and employment-centered education.
3) Making one’s mother tongue the medium of education.
4) A flexible curriculum with the freedom to choose careers among technical, vocational, co-
curricular and curricular activities.
5) Introduction of new-age skills like coding, creative writing, design, logical decision-making, and researching in school.
6) The freedom in the way of teaching with various tools, practical methods, and models with
experiment-based approach.
7) Positive Changes in the teacher recruitment process according to merit and academic
excellence.
A Guru is our teacher, a mentor, a motivator, a trainer, instructor on our path to knowledge. He tends to pass on their years of knowledge and experience to the generations to come and contribute to the prosperity of a nation.
Gurur Brahma, Guru Vishnuh,
Gurur Devo Maheshwaraha,
Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma,
Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.
In India, we celebrate teachers on the occasion of Teacher’s Day on the 5th of September to mark the birth anniversary of Sri Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and Guru Purnima for their dedication and hard work.
In the 21st century, the role of teachers has gone beyond teaching. With the onset of rapid dynamism and globalisation, it aims at meditated teaching with skills that are goal-oriented, futuristic, flexible is intended to provide employment for living, practical thinking, creativity and, achieving sustainability for the nation and being empowered.
In the golden words of Saint Kabir, “The value of a teacher is more in comparison to God and we must be thankful to our teachers”.
1) Teachers as motivators
Teachers are an inspiration who expand the horizon and broaden the mindset to cope with modernity. With the 21st century being an era of digitalisation and cut-throat competition, he is responsible for the integration of technology with education and imparting life skills through his lessons and experiences. Providing practical examples and mistakes and what not to do in life is what students look up to. The changing pattern of teaching is more focused on project-based learning with participation-based research emphasising the value of cooperation, working with the root level of the community, also coping with changing trends in the education industry.
2) As a career guide
The teachers impart knowledge, discipline, and, etiquette to handle any kind of situation with their praises and critical analysis. He is the planner, pathfinder, and instructor of a student’s career in this competitive world and also takes care of mental health and well-being. Being lifelong learners themselves, they should remain updated by exploring various digital tools in this digital age through YouTube, Video Tutorials, eBooks, and print media and enrich a student with communication skills, creativity, and analytical thinking.
“Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time” — Rabindranath Tagore
3) Agent of social change
The use of the right kind of technology and correct information is the need of the hour and guides students when they get exposed to many evil resources in social media. Help the students to become entrepreneurs and Innovators by encouraging students to participate in extracurricular activities. Doesn’t measure marks and grades as a yardstick of success. Making the learning more interesting, engaging, and fun, by monitoring the lacunas through feedback and assessing the weakness is the major role of a teacher. This will help in the progress of individuals and invent a better system to make learning easier and more understandable to close the achievement gap. He should encourage the students to make efforts for lifelong learning by igniting their curiosity and challenging the best version of themselves by being better than yesterday.
We should envision India as a superpower country with the highest literacy rate where education becomes a priority and every citizen enjoys their birthright through various initiatives by the government. The new educational changes should be brought in clean governance and a disciplined approach with a goal of inter-departmental coordination and should create a conducive environment for students where they realise their potential through academic excellence on the global stage. This will help in knowledge, employment, and generating a sense of understanding of social responsibility and taking charge of the current modern circumstances. Various strategies and time management skills will make the youth confident and purpose-oriented to channel their efforts and actions for a better educated tomorrow.
About this article
In her compelling article, "If you have to put someone on a pedestal, put teachers," Dr. Arpita Subhadarshinee eloquently emphasizes the invaluable role of teachers in shaping the future of society. With a keen understanding of the profound impact educators have on individuals and communities, Dr. Subhadarshinee passionately advocates for elevating teachers to a position of reverence and admiration. Through her insightful words, she illuminates the unparalleled significance of those who dedicate their lives to nurturing minds and fostering a brighter, more informed tomorrow.
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