AGARTALA: Tripura celebrated Teachers’ Day by honouring 22 teachers with state-level awards at a glittering function organised by the School Education Department here on Saturday.
The teachers received a citation and a cash award from the state government during the state level programme at the Rabindra Centenary Hall, which was packed with students and teachers from different schools.
State School Education Minister Bahanlal Saha, Higher Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty and Social Education Minister Bijita Nath felicitated the teachers in the presence of Chief Secretary Y P Singh and other dignataries.
The 54th Teachers Day celebration started with the paying of floral tributes to former President Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose birthday is celebrated as Teachers Day.
Saha, a former government school teacher, criticized the growing trend of private tuition replacing tradition classroom teaching at school, which according to him is unhealthy for both teachers and students.
“Such phenomenons are visible, which are very unhealthy for education. Classroom teaching has become unnecessary for both students and their parents. They are being imparted education in unhealthy atmosphere at the teacher’s residence against fees. As a result of this, education is not imparted in the real sense and they do not study the text book at all. Students are also using their studies to get jobs,” Saha added.
The State School Education Minister further said, “This is a wrong conception, that by gaining 80 percent, all will be geniuses. On the contrary, excellence can be achieved by gaining 60 percent through attending regular classes and studying five to six hours at home. From my small time experience as a teacher, I believe this in spite of all developments. I will say that we have to return back to that system, so that the students secure good numbers and teachers also teach well.”
He said teachers should teach with a mission to build better people and a better society by imparting value-based knowledge and have the instinct to recognize talent and nurture it.
Students from various schools regaled the teachers with their performances and also honoured them by gifting them flowers.