Need inspired teachers to instill values in children: President Pranab Mukherjee

NEW DELHI: India needs inspired teachers to instill in children the civilisational values of tolerance, plurality and compassion and impart education that removes boundaries of caste, community and gender, President Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

Citing renowned ancient seats of learning like Takshashila, Nalanda and Vikramashila, he asked educational institutes to regain their leadership position by attracting talent to the academic profession.

"I believe that more than ever, today we need inspired teachers to instill in our children the civilisational values of sacrifice, tolerance, plurality, understanding and compassion.

"I would define an inspired teacher as a value-oriented, mission-driven, self-motivated and result-oriented individual," Mukherjee said while giving national award to over 300 teachers for 2014 at a function organised here by Ministry of Human Resource Development.

An inspired teacher links the individual goals of the students to the societal and national goals. Such teachers appeal not only to the head but also the heart, he said.

"Through words, actions and deeds, they inspire the students and elevate them to a higher level of performance and thinking. Responsibility of producing aware, conscious and intellectual citizens who build the future of our nation lies with the teachers," the President said.

He said in the fast changing world of today where new ideas, values and concepts are rapidly replacing the old ones, the importance of quality of education for any student has further increased.

"The education has to liberate a person from narrow world view and the boundaries of caste, community, race and gender. Teachers have been entrusted with the responsibility of moulding the young minds to understand the world and make it better.

"To achieve this, teachers working in schools, colleges and universities need to define to themselves what it is to be a teacher and what effort can make their performance meaningful to achieve this aim. This is a high time for introspection," Mukherjee said.