Hyderabad: There was more to teaching than just imparting the three R’s. Teachers should have the ability to instil in their pupil values, self-confidence and the strength to face the vicissitudes of life. “Taking things sportily and turning adversity into advantage is the mantra for success,” remarked Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy and asked teachers to equip children with such abilities.
He was speaking after formally launching the 355 model schools set up in the educationally backward mandals of the State here on Saturday. The Chief Minister also handed over appointment letters to some 3,000-odd principals and post-graduate teachers. At the outset, Mr. Reddy asked how many had joined the profession for money and how many for the passion of teaching. When the newly recruits raised hands to show they had joined for passion, he complimented them. He reminded them that they should give it their best.
His government had created 1.23 lakh jobs and this year it was planned to provide 60,000 more. The budget for education had been increased from Rs. 5,000 crore to Rs. 27,000 crore. But the quality of education left a lot to be desired. “It is your job to improve the quality and send across the message that government schools are second to none,” the Chief Minister said while regretting the commercialisation of education by private sector.
Immense potential
In an exhaustive address, Mr. Reddy spoke more like a teacher and a parent. He exhorted the teachers to realise the immense potential they had to change the society. There was no greater asset than education, the Chief Minister said and quoted the Chinese proverb to say how teaching a man to fish was teaching him for life.
“Education is not all about scoring high marks,” the Chief Minister remarked and cited his own example to show how a last ranker like him had succeeded in life. He asked the teachers to do their home work well as students these days had the information at their fingertips. Since joint families had broken up, a great responsibility now devolved on teachers to develop clarity and consistency of thought among children to be able to take the correct decision on their own. Teachers should also properly guide children in choosing the career they had an aptitude for instead of pursuing courses which parents liked.
S. Sailajanath, Minister for Primary Education, said Andhra Pradesh was the only State to have 355 model schools grounded in the first phase. Minister for Handlooms and Textile, Prasad Kumar, also spoke.
Rajeshwar Tiwari, principal secretary, School Education, said 737 model schools were sanctioned for the State of which 355 were opened in the first phase. In each school 100-bed girls’ hostel was also set up. A total of two lakh children would benefit. Earlier, V. Usha Rani, Commissioner, School Education, welcomed the teachers.
