Ever had a teacher enlightened your minds, ajar your eyes, motivated you, or maybe made those long pompous lectures slightly more bearable? A teacher who filled the gap in your heart and left a lasting impression on your life. And if that’s relatable, you know the value of a teacher in your life.
Across India, the 5th of September is celebrated as teacher’s day. It’s the day when we take our hats off and sing praises to pay tribute to all the teachers who made us what we are today! While UNESCO proclaimed the 5th of October to be celebrated as World Teachers’ Day in 1994, in India, the praxis roots back to 1962, when a couple of students approached their teacher Dr. Radhakrishan (the second President of India), seeking permission to commemorate the 5th of September as a singular day. To which Dr. Radhakrishnan responded by putting the seal of approval on their request and marking the 5th of September as a day to honor the contribution of teachers to society. This fact shouldn’t be flabbergasting, considering Indian’s place education and knowledge on the top of their priority lists.
“The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.”
We can’t fantasize about the joy our teachers feel when they see their students transforming into world-renowned doctors, engineers, politicians, transforming millions of lives across the world. All of it was possible owing to the fact that they choose to teach us to the best they had to offer. While this year, due to the reigns of the coronavirus, we can’t honor them the way we used to, but as they taught us better! So, it’s our responsibility to figure out clever ideas, to navigate our way around the system, and make them feel special.
Merci (Thank you in French) to all the teachers for teaching us with compassion and being the role model that we all can look up to!
Our teachers deserve to be celebrated, and education shall continue to be the driving force that shall lead our nation to prosperity.
