Teachers' Day is being celebrated across the country today, to commemorate the birth anniversary of former President, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. He was a great philosopher and a teacher, having contributed immensely towards the Indian education system.
To mark the occasion, President Pranab Mukherjee presented the National Awards to meritorious teachers from across the country, at a function in New Delhi. The awards were instituted in 1958 to give public recognition to outstanding teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools. A series of functions, seminars and symposia have been organised to mark the day.Our correspondent adds that teachers are invariably seen as front-line participants in educational reform, critical to successful quality schooling in the country. But, they are often excluded from policy-making, governance and management of the educational system as well as from instructional strategies and decision making. Therefore the need of the hour is to empower teachers by providing a real opportunity to them to share policy perspectives and decision-making in pursuit of educational reforms.
On the occasion President Pranab Mukherjee said teachers can play a pivotal role in making the country's children self confident and self reliant. He said, a good education system is the cornerstone on which a progressive democratic society is built.
As teachers are the real architects of human resources, the day is the best opportunity for them to realize their responsibilities and be committed to impart quality education to the learners.