World Teachers' Day and Some Truths

Oct 5

World Teachers' Day, observed every year since 1994, is commemorated on October 5th, while India observes Teacher's Day on September 5th each year, honoring the birth anniversary of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a distinguished scholar, philosopher, teacher, and India's second President.

World Teachers' Day is a global celebration dedicated to recognising and appreciating educators for their significant role in shaping the future of pupils. This international festival commemorates the adoption of the 1966 ILO and UNESCO Recommendation, which highlights the importance of teachers.

The theme for World Teachers' Day 2023, "The Teachers We Require for the Education We Aspire to: Addressing the Global Teacher Shortage," emphasizes the need to address the shortage of teachers and strengthen the teaching profession worldwide, as stated by UNESCO.

However I feel quality of teacher is as important as their number. While a low student-to-teacher ratio can enhance personalised attention and address individual students' needs and shortcomings, an ineffective teacher can profoundly impact students negatively.

The contemporary practice of hiring teachers on contractual terms raises numerous concerns, and the commercialisation of the education system, including the prevalence of private tutoring, poses significant challenges to the well-being of both students and their parents.

Great teachers persist in supporting students, regardless of their grades or attention spans. They equally nurture high achievers, maintain lofty expectations, provide strong motivation, and hold unwavering faith in every student's potential.

It's also a fact that parents are the first teachers, and they should not relinquish their role by outsourcing it to others through hiring. However, when faced with criticism, our first reaction often tends to be a defensive one. Such an approach doesn't align with a genuine understanding of the realities and unvarnished truths.

The most profound blessings one can aspire to are staying true to oneself and gaining wisdom from one's own missteps. Individuals who possess these blessings become natural teachers for those seeking to uncover life's truths.

So on this occasion, let me share some stark truths that we invariably confront, regardless of our emotions and responses:

1. When attending a theater performance, we often choose front-row seats, whereas for movies, we tend to opt for rear seats. Our position in life is only relative, not absolute.

2. For making a soap, oil is required, but to clean oil, we use soap. Life's irony lies in such contradictions.

3. We cleanse ourselves through bathing, yet when we dry off with a towel, the towel becomes soiled. Perfection remains elusive.

4. Happiness in life is enjoyed by only two categories of people: the mad and the child. Be a mad to pursue your dreams, and be a child to savor what you have achieved. That's the secret to enjoying life.

5. We can't hug ourselves, nor can we shed tears on our own shoulders. Life is about living for one another. It's best to be with those who love us the most.

6. Relations cannot be grasped through the lens of finances, as some investments never yield profit, but they make us rich.

7. A bindi may cost one rupee, but is put on the forehead with pride by Indian women as an eloquent display of their marital commitment. In contrast, an anklet, worth thousands of rupees, is worn around ankle. The essence of significance transcends the realm of currency.