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Teacher’s Day 2013 in India

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Myself . By T.V. Antony Raj

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“Teachers like being appreciated, but they usually don’t expect recognition from students. When they get it, it does feel good,”
– Suma Padmanaban, Principal of Asan Memorial Senior Secondary School.

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Happy Teacher's Day

During the 20th century, the concept of celebrating Teachers’ Day took root independently in many countries. Unlike many other international days, people in many countries celebrate Teachers’ Day as a unique day to appreciate the contributions made by teachers within the field of teaching or for their service to their community. They celebrate a local educator who is or was an important milestone in education in their country or region. This is the primary reason countries are celebrating this day on different dates though the World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5th every year.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Since 1962, India celebrates Teachers’ Day on September 5, the birthday of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a philosopher, statesman and the second president of India from 1962 to 1967.

According to UNESCO, the teaching profession is currently losing its status in many parts of the world.

The Voice of the Teacher Survey 2013, conducted by education service provider Pearson and market intelligence firm Spire Research and Consulting represents the views of 3,262 teachers from 223 cities across 25 states, collected between July and August.

This nationwide survey reveals that three out of four teachers rated gratitude from students as a form of recognition more valuable than the salary or praise from their employers.

Happy Teachers Day

While the study found that a majority (72%) of teachers in the south feel students adequately acknowledge them for success, 61% teachers in northern India feel there has been a decline in gratitude over the past decade.

Among cities, Jaipur has the highest percentage (85%) of teachers who feel that students thank them enough for their success. Next comes Bangalore (82%) and Chennai (78%) is listed third.

The job satisfaction levels of teachers in TN (82%) and Chennai (80%) is higher than the national average at 66%.

Happy Teacher's Day

Teachers can trim, shape and mould or maul the minds of their students the way they want. Ha Ha …  I know this because I was a teacher too…

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Food for Thought, India, Indian National Anthem, Post A Day 2013, This is Life, tvaraj, Videos

Is India’s “Jana Gana Mana” the World’s Best National Anthem?

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READERS HAVE VIEWED THIS POST MORE THAN 17,801 TIMES.

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Myself . 

By T.V. Antony Raj

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Indian Tri-Colour flag

Just how “good” a particular national anthem might be considered is an extremely subjective matter. Most people consider their own national anthem as well as other national anthems as pompous dirges. Even good old “God Save The Queen” ends as one, even though the ‘da da da daderda–‘ rhythm is in fact that of a galliard – a sprightly dance and music of the Renaissance period popular all over Europe in the 16th century.

We are daily bombarded with doubtful information on social networks such as Facebook.  Two days ago, I cited a case in my post “Dubious Posts in Social Media Mislead Society About Anti-rape Laws“.

Today, I saw the following message in Facebook:

Jana Gana Mana

Being an Indian, my immediate reaction was to accept this message gladly. However, my mind told me that this information needed scrutiny.

This message and similar ones, stating that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), has announced that “the Indian National Anthem “Jana Gana Mana” is the best in the world” are currently circulating via email, posted in Facebook, blogs and in forums that have a huge Indian audience.

However, there are not even a scrap of evidence to confirm this delightful message. Other than this and other similar spurious postings on Facebook, I have not come across or heard such an announcement made by UNESCO in the media or in the UNESCO website, or read any credible news reports that back up this claim in any way.

So, once again, this scrappy message without any substance is apparently another frivolous, and meaningless rumour with no basis.

70-nations-world-flag

Here are some comments made by various nationals on the subject of “the world’s best national anthem”:

  • I believe it is the Indian national anthem because I am an Indian. Whenever I hear “Jana Gana Mana” (Indian national anthem) I feel proud of being born in a country with such fabulous cultural heritage. However, I am sure that most people will say their own nation’s anthem is the best since it evokes patriotic feelings in them.
  • Being an Indian, I will say it is the Indian national anthem. It is a beautiful prayer to the Lord for the well-being of our country India having various regions, and rivers  touching the sea in the south. It is SO melodious and moving.
  • For me, it is the British one. However, that is only because I am a British citizen.
  • It is “God save the Queen.” When you get on to the ~ send her victorious’ part,  it gets a bit too jingoistic in its little used later verses.
  • Star Spangled Banner.
  • Flower of Scotland is such a great song to sing.
  • The Italian national anthem “Il Canto degli Italiani” is bright and breezy and stirring. It is what you might expect from the land of so many good composers of emotional music.
  • The Italian anthem is great fun, best accompanied by a smiling Michel Schumacher conducting from the podium.
  • The “Deutschlandlied” (“Song of Germany”) also known as “Das Lied der Deutschen” (“The Song of the Germans”), has been used as the national anthem of Germany since 1922 (except in the German Democratic Republic from 1949 to 1990, where “Auferstanden aus Ruinen” (“Risen from Ruins”) was used). The song is also well known by the opening words and refrain of the first stanza, “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles“.
  • The Uruguayan anthem “Orientales, la Patria o la Tumba“, is the longest national anthem in terms of duration (about six minutes} with 105 bars of music.
  • The North Korea national anthem “Aegukka” is almost unique among most North Korean patriotic songs, as it praises neither the Workers’ Party of Korea, nor Kim Il-sung or Kim Jong-il’s cult of personality, but rather the whole of Korea itself.

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The World Teachers’ Day – October 5, 2012

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“On this day, we call for teachers to receive supportive environments, adequate quality training as well as ‘safeguards’ for teachers’ rights and responsibilities…We expect a lot from teachers – they, in turn, are right to expect as much from us. This World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity for all to take a stand.” – Irina Bokova, UNESCO Director-General.

The teacher can mould or trim the minds of students.

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The World Teachers’ Day was established in 1994 by UNESCO.

UNESCO and its partners, the International Labour Organization, UNDP, UNICEF and Education International (EI) have the slogan “Take a stand for teachers!” for celebrating World Teachers’ Day 2012 on October 3, 2012.

According to UNESCO, the teaching profession is losing its status in many parts of the world. “World Teachers’ Day” calls attention to the need to raise the status of the profession, to acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in building the future.

Why take a stand for teachers? According to UNESCO the profession is losing its status in many parts of the world. World Teachers’ Day calls attention to the need to raise the status of the profession – not only for the benefit of teachers and students, but for the society as a whole – to acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in building the future.

Having been a teacher, I can vouch that a guru can trim, shape and mould or maul minds the way they want.

In present times, in many countries, people celebrate Teachers’ Day as a unique day to appreciate their contributions within the field of teaching or for their service to their community.

During the 20th century, the concept of celebrating Teachers’ Day took root independently in many countries. Unlike other International days on “Teachers’ Day “people celebrate a local educator who happens or happened to be a milestone in education.

Since 1962, India celebrates Teachers’ Day on September 5 on Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday – a philosopher, statesman and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. Since 1915, Argentina commemorates the death of activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and its seventh President, Domingo Faustino Sarmiento on September 11 as its Teachers’ Day. This is the primary reason why countries are celebrating this day on different dates.

The following countries celebrate Teachers’ Day during the month of October.

Country

Date of Teachers’ Day

Notes
Afghanistan Oct 15 Schools have a holiday, but students and teachers gather to celebrate in schools with special traditional food, cookies, music and presents for the teachers
Armenia First Sunday in October
Australia Last Friday in October
Azerbaijan October 5 Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on October 5.
Bangladesh October 4
Belarus First Sunday of October
Brazil October 15 A decree regulating the elementary schools in Brazil. The celebration gained popularity throughout the country, and October 15 was officially designated Teachers’ Day in 1963.
Bulgaria October 5 October 5 was recognised as Teacher’s Day by the government on September 29, 2006.
Chile October 16 In 1967, September 11 was chosen as “Día del Maestro” (“Teacher’s Day”). The date was moved to December 10 in 1975, because on that day in 1945, the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral received the Nobel Prize. In 1977, the date was renamed to “Día del Profesor” (also “Teacher’s Day”) and was moved again, to October 16, to honor the founding of the Colegio de Profesores de Chile (Teachers’ Association of Chile).
Estonia October 5
Germany October 5
Laos October 7
Lithuania October 5 Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on October 5.
Macedonia (FYROM) October 5
Maldives October 5
Mauritius October 5
Moldova October 5
Netherlands October 5
New Zealand October 29
Pakistan October 5
Philippines October 5
Poland October 14 This day is the anniversary of the creation of the Commission of National Education, created in 1773 through the initiative of King Stanisław August Poniatowski
Qatar October 5
Romania October 5
Russia October 5 Between 1965 and 1994, the first Sunday of October. Since 1994, on October 5.
Serbia October 5
Sri Lanka October 6
Ukraine The first Sunday of October
Uzbekistan October 1

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