The child is the father of the man goes the adage. A great teacher is one who can identify the innate capabilities and inspire the child to set a goal. Students should work with steadfast determination to achieve the same, speakers said at an awareness meeting.
The occasion was the annual ‘Grameena Vidya Jyothi’ programme, organised by the Sanghamitra Rural Development Society (SRDS) at the Zilla Parishad High School here in Devarapalle mandal in the district on Saturday. The guests tried to motivate students by giving their own examples, and how they achieved their goals with their perseverance and hard work in spite of financial constraints and problems at home.
The children listened in rapt attention as the experts tried to shatter the misconception among rural students and their parents that urban students are in an advantageous position as they have better teachers and better amenities, and that only students of English medium schools can excel in life.
“I studied at the government high school in our village (Kasipuram). But, that did not deter me from my goal of doing MBBS from Andhra Medical College (AMC) and later post-graduation from Osmania Medical College,” recalled Civil Surgeon Specialist from E.S.I. Hospital, Adireddy Lalitha Prasad.
Dr. Prasad appealed to teachers to understand the inherent abilities and interests of their students and motivate them in that direction. He also advised them to talk to the parents on the need to give freedom to their children to make their career choices.
“Root out the premise that studying in a Telugu medium school may not bring you success. Aiming big in life and working hard to achieve it by overcoming the obstacles on the path is the secret of successful persons,” said Ramavarapu Basavaraju, successful entrepreneur of Kasipuram village.
He captivated the attention of the students by telling them the true story of Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motors, who refused to give up despite facing several obstacles on the way till finally achieved success.
“You are the creator of your own destiny. Having a goal and pursuing it with perseverance will ensure your success,” SRDS president Bandaru Ramachandra Rao, an ENT surgeon and founder of the organisation, told the students.
Medical Officer of Kasipuram PHC Sushma Kalyani and Headmistress Nagamani spoke.
Meritorious students were given Pratibha Puraskars and outstanding teachers from government schools in K. Kotapadu and Devarapalle mandals were felicitated on the occasion.