Shimla: V.S. Kokje, Himachal Governor conferred the National and State Teachers Award for outstanding achievement in the education for the years 2005 and 2007 upon the teachers of the State in a State-level function organized to mark the Teachers Day celebration at Raj Bhawan today.
Governor conferred State Teachers Award for outstanding achievement in education for year 2007 upon Mrs. Haripriya, Lecturer, Hindi, Government Senior Secondary School, Saiglu, district Mandi, Mr. Padam Singh Rana, Lecturer, Public Administration, Government Senior Secondary School, Jogindernagar, district Mandi, Dr. Ram Kumar Kaul, Shastri, Government High School, Chintpurni, district Una, Mr. Sohan Lal Sharma, Drawing Master, Government Middle School, Balwan, district Bilaspur and Mrs. Leea Ghai, CHT, Government Primary School, Dusehra, district Mandi.He presented them citation, medal and a cash prize of Rs. 25,000 while National Awards were conferred upon Mr. Dharu Ram, LT, Government Senior Secondary School, Laddu, district Chamba, Mr. Ram Singh, DM, Government High School, Rama, Tehsil Nahan, district Sirmaur and Mr. Subhash Chand Mahajan, CHT, Government Primary School, Haler, Lambagaon, district Kangra. He presented them citation medal and a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 for their outstanding contribution in the education in the year 2005.
Addressing the function, V.S. Kokje said that teachers needed to discharge their duty with dedication and commitment and follow the footsteps of the former President of India, Late Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. He said that teachers should derive satisfaction from the achievements of their students and not from monetary gains. He said that teachers were the architects of strong nation and needed to dedicate themselves towards their profession. He emphasized the need to introspect the role of teachers in the present day context and their contribution towards education. He added that there was a need for value based education which could make the students excel in future endeavours.
Governor also released the souvenir brought out by the Education Department to mark the Teachers Day.
Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister who presided over the function said that the State Government was contemplating the proposal to make Elementary Education in the State compulsory with a view to ensure minimum elementary level education mandatory for the children. He said that education upto primary level had been made compulsory in the State and every parent had been made responsible to send children to school for education. He said that parents not sending children to schools would attract provisions of the law.
Sorry to say this on teacher’s day but we all know the plight of teachers in Himachal. It has become the weakest “social animal” in a society that is truly running on the principles of “power nuisance” and “give and takeâ€. Teachers, right from the primary to university level fails in such a system because they have nothing to reciprocate and oblige people. It is the most frustrating and a major reason why people no longer aspire to become a teacher. It is the economic compulsions and TINA factor (there is no alternative) that is sustaining this profession. In such a situation expecting too much from him is totally impractical. Only visionary people have the potential to judge its long term impacts on society. Let all of us celebrate the another day by just saying “happy teachers’ dayâ€.
The apathy is that I know a teacher who rarely went to school, all he did was politics, going in and around Politicians. And at the end of his career he got Teacher’s award! I think HP government is trying so well to use media to show their positive side but reality is that they are doing all this for politics, to garner votes and support of largest unions in HP. But at myHimachal we need to build a strong people’s movement so that we expose the wrong doings of government.