With the passing of the Compulsory Education Bill, there will be a requirement for nearly one crore teachers. At present, there are only 50 lakh. Among them, even 10 per cent do not have a B. Ed. degree, Vice-Chancellor of Tamil Nadu Teachers' Education University T. Padmanabhan said here on Saturday.
Delivering the first graduation address of the CMS College of Education, he said that there were plenty of opportunities awaiting teachers who were qualified.
“Education is no longer a service. It is viewed as an investment. Higher education has a great responsibility of providing opportunities for exploring creative pursuits. It has become a fertile ground for experimenting new ideas. Hence, teachers have to be up to date in their respective disciplines,” the Vice-Chancellor said. He urged the young graduates to develop a positive mindset and willingness to use their capabilities to the maximum. “Knowledge and affection should be your weapons. Each person has a dormant divinity. It is the duty of the teacher to bring it out,” Mr. Padmanabhan said.
Pointing out to certain recent incidents that showed teachers in a negative and poor light, the Vice-Chancellor said he was sorry to hear of such reports. “While it is true that parents are the first teachers, it is also true that teachers are the second parents. Teachers should take care to remember this,” he said. Secretary of the college S.N. Balasubramanian, and principal S. Govindarajan, spoke.
