TODAY -

Beyond Teachers' Day

K Rajeshwar Sharma *

 Teachers feted, contributions noted on September 05 2022
Teachers feted, contributions noted on September 05 2022 :: Pix - TSE



There is no one who was not guided or taught by a teacher. Everyone has a teacher or guru or mentor in his or her life. It is said that parents are the first teachers.

Thomas Alva Edison, the great American inventor had no formal education but he had Nancy Elliot Edison, his mother as his one and only teacher. Letizia Ramolino mentored his son Napoleon, the French emperor. Lord Krishna was Arjuna's guide or teacher. So was Aristotle to Alexander, the great.

The role of a teacher in one's life is so important that one's success or failure in life depends much on what one was taught. In India Teachers' Day is celebrated every year on the 5th of September the birthday of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan the second President of India, who started his career as a teacher. He was not only a teacher but he was also a philosopher, politician and a writer.

In recognition of his dedicated work towards the improvement of education particularly in India, Dr Radhakrishnan's birthday was declared as Teachers' Day in India to honour him as well as all the teachers in India.

The first Teachers' Day was celebrated on his 77th birthday in 1962 when he became the President of India. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on 5th September 1888 at Tirutani, Madras (Now Tamil Nadu) in a poor Bramhin family. As he was a bright student, Radhakrishnan supported most of his education with scholarships from the Government.

Although his father wanted him to be a Priest, he continued to study higher till he got his MA degree in Philosophy. In 1909, he joined the Madras Presidency College as Assistant Lecturer, where he mastered the classics of Hindu Philosophy such as the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, Brahmasutra and commentaries of Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhava.

In 1918, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Mysore. After three years of serving at the university, he was nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the University of Calcutta in 1921. His book "Indian Philosophy" was published in 1923. The book was hailed and described as "a philosophical classic and a literary masterpiece".

In 1931, Dr. Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of Andhra University. Then he became the Vice Chancellor of Benares Hindu University in 1939. After independence, Dr. Radhakrishnan was appointed as Ambassador to the Soviet Union in 1949.

During his tenure, a strong foundation of friendship with the Soviet Union was laid by him. In 1952, Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected as Vice President of India under Dr. Rajendra Prasad the first President of India. After serving two terms as Vice President of India, Dr. Radhakrishnan was elected as the second President of India in 1962.

He retired as President of India in 1967, and passed away on 17th April 1975 in Madras (Now Chennai). His contributions in the field of education earned Dr. Radhakrishnan Bharat Ratna the highest civilian award.

He even received the knighthood from the British emperor King George V in 1931 for his excellence in teaching. Not only was Dr. Radhakrishnan a teacher and philosopher, but he was also a great Parliamentarian. As the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, he managed to conduct the proceedings of the Upper House smoothly.

Teaching is a noble, selfless profession. In teaching, the more knowledge you impart, the more respected you are. In the ancient Gurukul system, the guru was teacher, mentor and parent. Students were taught life skills and religious education at ashrams. They learned how to behave with others and how to cook, clean and take care of their ashrams besides martial arts to defend themselves against wild animals and thugs.

The relationship between guru and his student was a divine relationship. Students worshipped their gurus. Nowadays such a divine relationship is hard to find anywhere perhaps because there is no deserving teacher who can command divine respect from his students.

In Manipur Teachers' Day is celebrated by the Education Department every year on the 5th of September to honour a few selected teachers in recognition of their "dedicated work". Students in private schools as well as Government schools celebrate Teachers' Day on other days with dance, music and skits to honour their teachers.

It is perhaps the only day when teachers are remembered and respected for their role in building a Nation, or else they are in oblivion, for they have no bureaucratic power. Not only is Teachers' Day observed to remember and respect teachers for their role in building a Nation, but it is also observed to remind teachers of their great responsibilities to the society and to the Nation as well.

In States like Manipur, it is often reported in newspapers about schools and colleges where teachers were found to be absent or missing for days or even months. It is also said that there are some "Ghost Professors" in some colleges in the hill districts of Manipur.

One may wonder whether these unscrupulous and irresponsible teachers deserve to be honoured on Teachers' Day. Schools and colleges in Manipur cannot afford to cohabit with recalcitrant teachers. They need to be revamped thoroughly. Or else the National Education Policy 2020 will not be more than a white elephant.

There is a need for a viable system to continuously assess the performance of teachers and Professors in schools and colleges. Teachers should take the responsibilities for drop outs and failures of students in their schools and colleges. They should be rewarded for the achievements of their students as it is done in games and sports.

When Mary Kom won bronze medal in boxing in the Olympics, her coach Mr Ibomcha was also rewarded. With the same spirit of encouragement, teachers of a particular school or college should also be rewarded when its students become toppers in university examinations, scientists, and crack the civil service examinations.

On the other hand, teachers should always try to keep in touch with their former students so that they should make some contributions to their alma mater as it is done in Harvard, MIT and other universities in the United States.


* K Rajeshwar Sharma wrote this article for The Sangai Express
This article was webcasted on September 12 2022 .



* Comments posted by users in this discussion thread and other parts of this site are opinions of the individuals posting them (whose user ID is displayed alongside) and not the views of e-pao.net. We strongly recommend that users exercise responsibility, sensitivity and caution over language while writing your opinions which will be seen and read by other users. Please read a complete Guideline on using comments on this website.


LATEST IN E-PAO.NET
  • Colonial Knowledge Production in NE #8
  • Violence in Manipur 2023-2025 : Timeline
  • The fight for survival in Manipur
  • A call for unity from displaced voices
  • COVID-19: Update 08 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Dogs Are Staying on the Ground :: Poem
  • Football Tournament at Heinoukhongnembi
  • Condemns Kuki Inpi's Directive
  • Installation Ceremony of Lions Club, Imphal
  • All that can go wrong has gone wrong
  • Manipur peaceful from Delhi's perspective
  • Bashanta Ras @Govindaji #2 : Gallery
  • Hypocrisy & the betrayal of sovereignty
  • Healing with Art for children concluded
  • Manipur : Champions 24th Junior Natl Wushu
  • Path to Becoming a Leader Who Inspires
  • Van Mahotsav 2025, festival of life
  • The Flavours of Life :: Poem
  • Assault on sensibilities of the media
  • Revival of MPP after years of bitter disputes
  • Ougri Lirol :: Part 2 : Ooba Video
  • Jianreilung, Chingamba, Masounii : eMing
  • How Jessami conservation of Nongin
  • Shija Hospitals turns 40
  • COVID-19: Update 06 July 2025 : Manipur
  • The Indomitable Young Souls :: Poem
  • Growing network of drug dealers in country
  • Politics of SoO pact since 2008
  • No takers for disturbance-free education
  • 31st Governor Cup Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • PM welcome to Manipur: Feel the reality
  • Kainkhol wins best Social Message Film Award
  • Distortion of facts: Manipur sports movement
  • Govt services reach Manipur's tribal villages
  • 134th Durand Cup Trophies Flag Off
  • COVID-19: Update 05 July 2025 : Manipur
  • How to take care of oily skin in monsoon
  • First-Ever Tripura Esports Championship
  • Konung Kang Chingba #1 : Gallery
  • Manipur Iskcon's 25th Ratha Yatra 2025
  • Native Threshing machine made for farmers
  • COVID-19: Update 04 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Riso Ejang: Youth-led Transformation
  • Include males too in addressing HPV
  • Whispers from the past :: Poem
  • LPU opens permanent outreach centre
  • Raj Bhavan moving on the right track
  • Speculations over PM Modi's visit to state
  • Colonial Knowledge Production in NE #7
  • Make Yourself Visible to Opportunity
  • Orange bowl: tradition with ecological wisdom
  • 10 ways to keep a kitchen garden disease free
  • Between PR, military mandates & AFSPA
  • Allocation fund for MLALAD Fund during PR
  • Denounces Killing of KNA Deputy C-in-C
  • COVID-19: Update 03 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Cases of fake Aadhaar cards
  • Sincere dealing must for stricter Aadhaar
  • Archaeology: Culture of Manipur : Booklet
  • Wanna be a singer? Get Botox
  • A Central institute in Manipur
  • Nagging in the name of love
  • COVID-19: Update 02 July 2025 : Manipur
  • 'Benefits' of Indira's Emergency
  • Social Stigma :: Poem
  • Inking a peace pact: Why, how: SoO quagmire
  • Van Mahotsav under shadow of declining forest
  • 11th Th Kishan Memorial Lecture : Gallery
  • Manipur crisis & the Left media's blind spot
  • COVID-19: Update 01 July 2025 : Manipur
  • Bombom RK : Musclemania Universe NYC
  • The Grief :: Poem
  • Music Concert & Quiz (MCQ) 2.0
  • SoO agreement unlikely to be scrapped
  • Regulating use of plastic carry bags
  • Mera Houchongba @Kangla #4 : Gallery
  • International Day of Yoga @JNMDA : Gallery
  • BD Behring: The inimitable Gentleman I knew
  • Violence in the name of patriotism : Misguided
  • Daily oral vs long-acting injectable for HIV
  • COVID-19: Update 30 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Smile :: Poem
  • Why was President's Rule imposed ?
  • BJP under pressure to forge unity
  • Kang @Leikai in Imphal : Gallery
  • July Calendar for Year 2025 : Tools
  • COVID-19 : A recurring crisis in Manipur
  • DC Kaith and Forestry in Manipur : Book
  • COVID-19: Update 29 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Longing for Peace :: Poem
  • Black badge, slogan protest by peeved scribes
  • Present the true picture before Delhi
  • Pung-Cholom @ Polo Tournament : Gallery
  • Life: A Journey Through Thought & Being
  • Khongjai Hills & Kuki claim to indigeneity
  • Master Time by Managing Information
  • COVID-19: Update 28 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Pride & patriotism in CCpur's army families
  • The Power of Poppy - 87 :: Poem
  • World Decarbonisation Day: green environment
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #2 : Gallery
  • Loss of two precious lives from Manipur
  • Balancing civil liberties with public safety
  • COVID-19: Update 27 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Gender equality & human rights are indivisible
  • Stay hydrated this summer season
  • Silent Half of the Sun :: Poem
  • Connecting the dots in the wishlist
  • Assembly record tampering claims by ex-CM
  • The immortal legacy of Pukhramba Kajao
  • International Day against Drug Abuse 2025
  • COVID-19: Update 26 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Black pottery from Ukhrul - tribal heritage
  • Program on "Mission-Drug Free Campus"
  • Play makes a better world
  • Urgent Appeal to the Honourable MLAs
  • Tribal Empowerment Campaign at CCpur
  • Talk doing the round: PM to come
  • 'Emergency' relief for under-fire BJP
  • Golden Jubilee Art Fair @Imphal : Gallery
  • Declaration: Meetei People Convention, Delhi
  • A Flower Among the Rocks :: Review
  • Book Donation Campaign
  • Improved road connectivity boosts livelihoods
  • To Have Great Dreams :: Poem
  • COVID-19: Update 25 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Regret vs Sorry: Technical & moral insight
  • Cocktail of inept Govt, selfish people
  • State trailing others in cleanliness
  • Colonial Knowledge in NE India #6
  • UHI effect & rising temperatures in Manipur
  • Frequent road blockades cripple economy
  • COVID-19: Update 24 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Unite Health with Community health services
  • NSU, Imphal, tops IIRF Ranking 2025
  • Endless conflict :: Poem
  • Pak nobel pish prize for Trump
  • May 3, 2023 - June 24, 2025: Failure of Delhi
  • Hotter days, sudden rainfall no more a rarity
  • "The Great June Uprising" #2 : Gallery
  • How to Build a Career, Lead with Purpose
  • 2nd Foundation Day- Karnataka Meitei Assn
  • COVID-19: Update 23 June 2025 : Manipur
  • NSCN-IM Amnesty threatens to isolate it
  • Sunset :: Poem
  • Intl Yoga Day for a healthier environment
  • Of clogged drains and plastics
  • Poor roads testify Govt indifference
  • Welcome Home - Nganthoi #1 : Gallery
  • The Silent Erosion of Manipuri Language
  • Design health services around people
  • Serene Hills Host Inspiring Int'l Yoga Day
  • COVID-19: Update 22 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Chopper services between Senapati & Imphal
  • High Court Judges interacted with convicts
  • Redyeing the Fabric :: Poem
  • Differences yet to be resolved stand
  • Border fencing rage as solution eludes
  • Radio E-pao: 14 new songs updated
  • Climate Adaptive Agroforestry
  • Manipur overlooked demographic shifts
  • Young designers shine on Fashion Stage
  • COVID-19: Update 21 June 2025 : Manipur
  • International Day of Yoga at Lamphelpat
  • International Day of Yoga at JNMDA
  • The Power of Poppy - 86 :: Poem
  • Keishampat Lairembi Haraoba #1 : Gallery
  • Crisis in Manipur's Contemporary Education
  • Best 8 Performances in Manipuri Cinema
  • Identity: Caught between China & India ?
  • COVID-19: Update 20 June 2025 : Manipur
  • To The Father Who Listens :: Poem
  • How does net suspension affect youths ?
  • Targeting farmers to cripple state's economy
  • The virus is back and spreading
  • Who is afraid of Manipur ?
  • A threatened lily growing at Shirui Hills
  • World Environment Day in Manipur : Gallery
  • Ambubachi Mela at Maa Kamakhya
  • COVID-19: Update 19 June 2025 : Manipur
  • Dolls made from repurposed vegetable refuse
  • Condemns Attack on Farmer & Killing
  • Abhorrent politics of SoO
  • Police arrogance on harmless drivers
  • "The Great June Uprising" #1 : Gallery
  • UK Meetei diaspora run for Myanmar : Gallery
  • Thang-Ta Day @Khuman Lampak #3 : Gallery
  • 50 years of Pebet #2 : Gallery
  • Indo-Naga Talks (From 2012) :: Timeline
  • Protest @Checkon -AT arrest [Jun 9] : Gallery
  • Protests - AT arrest [Jun 8 night] : Gallery
  • Aftermath of flooding @ Khurai #1 : Gallery
  • /li>
  • Flooding at JNIMS Hospital #2 : Gallery
  • North East NSS Festival @ MU : Gallery
  • Trump's tariff legacy & its global echo
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #3 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #2 : Gallery
  • Flooding Imphal East [31 May] #1 : Gallery
  • S Nirupama @Miss Universe : Gallery
  • Protesters to Raj Bhavan [May 25]: Gallery
  • Human Chain @Airport road [May 26]: Gallery
  • Miss Shirui Pageant Contestant: Gallery
  • 48 hrs Bandh: protest security forces: Gallery
  • Protest Rally: Journalist harassment: Gallery
  • HSLC 2025: Full Result (Check Roll No)
  • HSLC 2025: Important Info & Grading System
  • HSLC 2025 : Compartmental candidates
  • HSLC 2025 : Comparative Statement
  • HSLC 2025 : Statistical Abstract
  • HSLC 2025 : District Pass Percentage
  • HSLC 2025 : Govt School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Aided School Pass %
  • HSLC 2025 : Private School Pass %
  • People's Convention on 3rd May #2 : Gallery
  • Featured Front Page Photo 2025 #2: Gallery
  • Riya Khwairakpam : HSE Science Topper
  • Keisham Hannah : HSE Arts Topper
  • Warepam Lidia : HSE Commerce Topper
  • HSE 2025 Result : Science Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Arts Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Result : Commerce Full Result
  • HSE 2025 Information / Abbreviation
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Science
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Arts
  • HSE 2025 Topper : Commerce
  • HSE 2025 : Pass Percentage
  • HSE 2025 : Result Abstract
  • HSE 2025 : Candidates with Highest Marks
  • President's Rule in Manipur : 1967 - 2025
  • Downloadable Manipuri Calendar :: 2025
  • SPONSORED ADS