President Droupadi Murmu on Monday, September 5, batted for teaching in one's mother tongue in schools, saying that talent development in science, literature and social sciences can be more effective if taught in one's own language. She was addressing the gathering at the National Teachers Awards ceremony, where she recalled the contribution of her school teachers due to which she became the first girl from her village to go to college.
"Science, research and innovation are the basis of development in today's knowledge economy. The foundation stone for further strengthening India's position in these areas will be built through school education. I believe development of original talent in science, literature or the social sciences can be more effective through the mother tongue," she said, as per PTI.
"It is our mothers who teach us the art of living in our early lives. That is why mother tongue is helpful in developing natural talent. After the mother, the teachers carry forward our education in our lives. If teachers also teach in their mother tongue, then students can develop their talent with ease. That is why in the new National Education Policy (NEP), emphasis has been laid on use of Indian languages for school education and higher education," Murmu added, as per PTI.
The president remembered her teachers and said that they not only taught her but also gave her love and inspiration. "On the strength of the guidance of my family and teachers, I became the first girl from my village to attend college. I always feel indebted to my teachers for whatever I have achieved in life," she said, as per PTI.
The president said it is the responsibility of teachers to generate interest in science and research among their students as good teachers can make complex principles easy by explaining with the help of living examples that exist in nature. She quoted a famous saying about teachers and said, "The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates and the great teacher inspires. An ideal teacher has all four qualities. Such ideal teachers build a nation in true sense by building lives of the students."
Noting that India's school education is counted among the world's largest education systems, Murmu urged teachers to encourage the habit of asking questions and expressing doubts in the students. She said by answering more and more questions and solving doubts, their knowledge would also increase.
National Awards to Teachers
President Murmu presented the National Awards to Teachers to 46 select awardees to honour their unique contribution to school education. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has been organising a function at Vigyan Bhawan on Teachers' Day on September 5 every year to confer the awards to best teachers of the country, selected through a rigorous transparent and online three-stage selection process.
Among the awarded teachers, three each are from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Maharashtra and Telangana. Yudhveer, Virender Kumar and Amit Kumar (Himachal Pradesh); Harpreet Singh, Arun Kumar Garg and Vandana Shahi (Punjab); Shashikant Sambhajirao Kulthe, Somnath Waman Walke and Kavita Sanghvi (Maharashtra); Kandala Ramaiah, TN Sridhar and Sunitha Rao (Telangana), are the awardees from these four states.
"The purpose of the National Awards to Teachers is to celebrate the unique contribution of teachers in the country and to honour those teachers who through their commitment and industry have not only improved the quality of school education, but also enriched the lives of their students," a senior MoE official said, as per PTI.
Pradeep Negi and Kaustubh Chandra Joshi (Uttarakhand), Sunita and Durga Ram Muwal (Rajasthan), Neeraj Saxena and Om Prakash Patidar (Madhya Pradesh), Saurabh Suman and Nishi Kumari (Bihar), G Ponsankari and Umesh TP (Karnataka), Mala Jigdal Dorjee and Sidharth Yonzone (Sikkim) are among the selected teachers.
The other awardees include Anju Dahiya (Haryana), Rajni Sharma (Delhi), Seema Rani (Chandigarh), Maria Murena Miranda (Goa), Umesh Bharatbhai Vala (Gujarat), Mamta Ahar (Chhattisgarh), Iswar Chandra Nayak (Odhisha), Buddhadev Dutta (West Bengal), Mimi Yhoshii (Nagaland), Nongmaithem Gautam Singh (Manipur), Ranjan Kumar Biswas (Andaman and Nicobar), among others.
Among the awarded teachers, one is from the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE) Board, two from Kendriya Vidyalayas, one each from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya and Eklavya Residential School, while two teachers are from Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Board.
