Jacob Peenikaparambil: According to Swami Vivekananda, the ultimate aim of all education and training is human- making and it is achieved through building character, increasing strength of mind, expanding intellect and equipping a person to stand on his own feet. Teachers are the facilitators and mentors in this process of transformation taking place in students. That is why it is said that teaching is the one profession that creates all other professions. In the absence of humanity whatever qualities and talents a person has will be of no use to him and society. Teachers’ Day celebration reminds all Indians of the crucial role played by the teachers and their obligation to recognize and appreciate the rich contribution of teachers in shaping the young generation. It also reminds the teachers of their great responsibility of making human beings.
Dr. Haim Ginott, Child Psychologist has emphasized in his writings the dire need for making students human through education. He says, “I am a survivor of a concentration camp. My eyes saw what no person should witness. Gas chambers built by the learned engineers. Children poisoned by educated physicians. Infants killed by trained nurses. Women and babies shot by high school and college graduates. So I am suspicious of education. “My request is: Help your children become human. Your efforts must never produce learned monsters or skilled psychopaths. Reading, writing and arithmetic are important only if they serve to make our children more human”.
Teachers’ Day 2021 is the second Teachers’ Day that is celebrated in a subdued way because of the fear of the pandemic coronavirus. The world, including India, has not yet fully recovered from the disastrous grip of the pandemic. Along with the spread of Covid 19 the world also witnessed a more dangerous virus, the virus of inhumanity. Inhumanity has taken different shapes or undergone mutations in different parts of the world. The total capture of Afghanistan by Taliban who are known for their cruelty is one example of the victorious march of inhumanity.
One of the most significant lessons people learned during the pandemic crisis is that political leaders with humane approaches, especially women leaders, could manage the crisis better than others. On the other hand, autocratic leaders messed up the situation. Hence there is an urgent need for grooming democratic leaders with humane hearts and minds, and education with focus on character building is the most effective means.
The Constitution of India, especially its preamble, is rich in human values: pluralism, justice, equality, liberty, fraternity and individual dignity. That could be the reason why our Prime Minister Naredra Modi once described the Indian Constitution as the “national scripture” If our leaders and bureaucrats had imbibed these values, our governance would have definitely been better than what it is today. Let all our teachers make a promise on Teachers’ Day 2021 to imbibe the constitutional values and impart the same to their students.
Let all teachers not only in India but also all over the world use their power to humanize children under their care so that terrorists and religious fanatics will not play havoc with human lives.
Let all Indians, especially the teachers, remember what Dr. Radhakrishnan, whose birthday is celebrated on 5th September as Teachers’ Day, has said about education. “Education is enlightenment of the soul that dispels ignorance and illuminates the individual”.
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