Teachers were the foundation of a knowledge society. Education was not just to get a job. After parents, it was teachers who played a pivotal role in shaping a student into becoming a responsible citizen, said those at the official celebrations of the Teachers’ Day.
Addressing an impressive gathering at Ravindra Bharathi here on Friday, Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, who holds the Education portfolio, said now that teachers’ commitment to their job was recognised with awards, people would be watching them. “Your responsibility is more now and you need to think smarter to make kids come to school,” he said.
“We are celebrating Teachers’ Day, the birthday of late Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, former President, which is on September 5, but was postponed because of Ganesha immersion procession,” he explained.
The education sector in the State was poised for major reforms, he pointed out, adding that the day was not far off when Telangana would be a much-sought-after model for replication by other States.
From a teacher in Mahabubnagar, V. Vijayabhaskar, who took the student strength in his school from 100 to 950 in just two years, to a headmistress in Wyra of Khammam district who recreated the environs of a private school in her Government Primary School, there were dozens of model teachers, Mr. Srihari said.
Reeling out statistics of achievements in three years, the Deputy Chief Minister said a total of 525 Gurukula Patashaalas were established, apart from 82 Kasturba Gandhi Bal Vikas schools in the State. The system of using fine rice for mid-day meals at schools was the first in the country, he said, adding that soon, the finer details of the promised KG to PG scheme would be thrashed out.
Ministers Eatala Rajender (Finance), Talasani Srinivas Yadav (Animal Husbandry), Chief Whip in the Legislative Council Paturi Sudhakar Reddy, MLC Pula Ravinder, former Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya and a host of others also spoke.
Chairman of Telangana State Council for Higher Education T. Papi Reddy, Special Chief Secretary (Education) Ranjeev R. Acharya, Commissioner (Higher Education) Vani Prasad and Director (Language and Culture) Mamidi Harikrishna were present. In all, 62 awards were given away to teachers in different categories.