About Teachers Day, Significance, History and Quotes!
A teacher’s importance in our life just like light in darkness. A teacher is a mentor, guide, philosopher and guru who guide us to be a knowledgeable students and better human beings. He is an important person in individual’s life who holds our hand, opens our mind, and touches our heart.
In many nations across the world, teacher’s day is a distinctive day where teachers of academic institutes and gurus of various ashrams are honored specially by students, followers, devotees and pupils. The date differs from nation to nation. The universally accepted World Teacher’s Day is 5th October. In India, the Teacher’s Day is celebrated on 5th September because of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday as on 5 September 1888 and this tradition started from 1962. He was a philosopher, scholar, teacher, and politician and his devoted work towards education made his birthday an significant day in the history of India. We recall the great work of this ideal person on this day.
History of Teachers Day (Celebration on 5th September (India) & 5th October (Worldwide)):
As per facts, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a friendly teacher and he was famous among his students for the example he always set in front of them. So, one day his students and friends asked him to allow them to celebrate his birthday in a great way. In return he requested that it would be his pride and honor if they celebrate his birthday in respect of all teachers. And since then this day 5th September is celebrated as Teacher’s Day.
Beside India, World Teacher’s Day is celebrated on 5th October and it started form 1994. It was UNESCO who started this tradition. The focus set by UNESCO was to celebrate the engrossment and accomplishment of teachers and also the prominence that they put on the field of education. Now why 5th October is taken up as the Teacher’s Day? On this day in the year 1966, a special intergovernmental conference adopted the UNESCO endorsement regarding the statuses of teachers.
Reason behind celebration:
Teaching is the most important job in the world. Teachers are known to shape the career of youth and students. Teacher gives good value in children and turn them into valuable citizens. So, almost every country celebrates Teacher’s Day.
In India, we rejoice this day due to the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan who was a man of countless good merits and a beloved teacher among students. It was his wish that his birthday should be celebrated as an honorable day for all the teachers in the country, in case someone is wishing to celebrate his birthday at all.
In his book titled, “Political Thinkers of Modern India”, he explained the importance of teachers and education in a country like Democratic India which was still in its early years of development. As per his beliefs, there is a vast role of teachers in nation building and for that sake teachers should be respected more. Apart from being a thinker and teacher he was also a philosopher. He once wrote a book on Bhaagwad Gita and there he defined a teacher as, “The one who emphasizes on presentation to converge different currents of thoughts to the same end”.
During his political stint, most of the leaders of that time like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, or Dr. Rajendra Prasad were his admirers for this thinking in nation building. His skills were proven in the field of politics also. He had the political vision to recognize the obstacles well in advance and also carried the required courage to scold party leaders for their procrastination and wrongdoing. Earlier in 1947, he warned the former Congress people about the alarming consequences of nepotism and corruption. We are dealing with it still!
The man who was behind the revolution of education and maintaining valuable ethics in politics as Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was celebrated as Teachers Day.
Quotes about Teachers Day:
“Teachers, backbone of the education system” – By Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“Teachers should be the best minds in country” – By Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“The true teachers are those who help us think for ourselves” – By Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science” – By Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“When we think, we know, we cease to learn” – By Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“Books are the means by which we build bridges between cultures” – BY Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
“It is a greater work to educate a child, in the true and large sense of that phrase, than to rule a state.” – By William Ellery Channing, Preacher and Theologian
“Most of us end up with no more than five or six people who remember us. Teachers have thousands of people who remember them for the rest of their lives.” – By Andy Rooney, Journalist
“One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” – By Carl Jung
“The dream begins, most of the time, with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you on to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called truth.” – By Dan Rather
“A good teacher is like a candle – it consumes itself to light the way for others.” – By Mustafa Kemal Atatürk
“The art of teaching is the art of assisting discovery.” – By Mark Van Doren
“Teaching is not a lost art, but the regard for it is a lost tradition.” – By Jacques Barzun
GahoiMumbai.com to wish you all Happy Teachers Day!