President Ram Nath Kovind on Sunday conferred the National Teachers’ Awards on 44 teachers for their remarkable contributions to the field of education, as he stressed the need to ensure “the all-round development of each child according to their special needs, interests and abilities”.
The Union education ministry awards teachers for their achievements every year on Teachers Day -- celebrated on September 5 to mark the birth anniversary of the first Vice President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
“Teachers should pay special attention to the fact that each student has different abilities, talents, psychology, social background and environment. Therefore, emphasis should be laid on the all-around development of each child according to their special needs, interests and abilities,” said the President during the virtual award ceremony.
Noting that the primary responsibility of a teacher is to combine the inherent talents of the students with theirs, Kovind added: “A good teacher is a personality-builder, a society-builder and a nation-builder...Our education system should be such that students develop a commitment to the constitutional values and fundamental duties, strengthen patriotic feeling, and make them aware of their role in the changing global scenario.”
The President also appreciated the teachers for their efforts to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic does not hinder students’ education. “In this situation, even when all schools and colleges were closed, teachers did not allow children’s education to stop. For this, teachers learned to use digital platforms in a very short time and continued the education process. Some teachers have developed remarkable infrastructure in schools with their hard work and dedication. I appreciate such dedicated teachers and hope that the entire teaching community will keep on changing its teaching methods according to the changing circumstances.”
{{/usCountry}}The President also appreciated the teachers for their efforts to ensure that the Covid-19 pandemic does not hinder students’ education. “In this situation, even when all schools and colleges were closed, teachers did not allow children’s education to stop. For this, teachers learned to use digital platforms in a very short time and continued the education process. Some teachers have developed remarkable infrastructure in schools with their hard work and dedication. I appreciate such dedicated teachers and hope that the entire teaching community will keep on changing its teaching methods according to the changing circumstances.”
{{/usCountry}}The awardees include two teachers each from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Sikkim, Odisha, Bihar, Gujarat, Delhi and Rajasthan. This year, the online self-nomination process was followed by a three-tier selection process at district, state and national levels.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also lauded the teachers on the day. “On Teachers’ Day, greetings to the entire teaching fraternity, which has always played a pivotal role in nurturing young minds. It is commendable how teachers have innovated and ensured the education journey of students continues in the Covid-19 times,” he said in a Twitter post.
In a related development, the Prime Minister’s Office announced on Sunday that Modi will virtually address teachers, students, parents, and stakeholders associated with the education sector during a conclave on Tuesday.
During the inaugural session of the conclave, the PM will launch several initiatives including Indian Sign language dictionary of 10,000 words, audiobooks for visually impaired students, social quality assessment and accreditation framework (SQAAF) of CBSE, NISTHA teachers’ training programme, and ‘Vidyanjali Portal’ for facilitating donors of CSR contributions for school development, the PMO said in a statement.