VILLUPURAM: Teaching is generally considered a thankless profession, but two government teachers in the district were overjoyed as their services were recognised by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi!
NK Hemalatha, a Tamil teacher at the S Kunathur Government Higher Secondary School in Gingee Taluk, has gained national recognition after being praised by the PM in his Mann Ki Baat address, for make e-learning more accessible to her students. Hemalatha had made graphical videos of all 53 chapters of the Class X Tamil textbook and saved them in 30 pen drives and distributed it to students so that even those without internet connections can catch up with lessons during the pandemic.
The New Indian Express had carried an article on her in the edition dated December 14, and Hemalatha said officials from the State government had forwarded it to the PM's Office.
"The officials cross-checked the details in the article and after careful verification of my work, it was forwarded to the PMO. I am extremely happy and inspired that a small effort from a remote village in Villupuram was recognised at the national level. I am encouraged to work harder for the benefit of students" Hemalatha told The New Indian Express.
Meanwhile, S Dhilip, an English teacher at the Government Higher Secondary School in Satyamangalam village of Gingee Taluk, who received the National Award for Best Teacher in 2020, came in for praise from the PM in a tweet in the official handle of Mann Ki Baat. "Shri Dhilip S has used augmented and virtual reality to make the learning of English exciting for children. He developed phonetic techniques & models for learning grammar with games. He has been conferred with National Teachers Award 2020 #ourteachersourleaders", read the tweet.
Dhilip recently developed an artificial intelligence programme for children who wish to pursue technology in their day-to-day life. "I have been working on the idea of technologically improving the lives of rural children for the past 12 years. AI technology is now used to teach English in a simpler and easier way to students from rural areas. However, it is not a tool to teach subjects but to build technological know-how among children," Dhilip told The New Indian Express.