Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath suggested that verses from the Bhagavad Gita or Ramcharitmanas be recited during school assemblies to infuse spiritual learning in the children.
At the state award distribution ceremony of the basic education and madhyamik education departments on Thursday, CM Adityanath also advised teachers not to act like members of trade unions "as it goes against the dignity of the profession".
"Teachers cannot and should not behave like trade union members as that would be against the dignity of the profession. Whenever teachers behave like trade union members, they undermine their own respect and honour," Chief Minister said at the programme held at the Yogiraj Baba Gambhirnath auditorium here.
Remembering former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, CM Adityanath sent wishes to the people of the state on the occasion of Teachers' Day. He said the Bharat Ratna recipient was an eminent scholar and a great philosopher, adding that his birth anniversary is celebrated as Teachers' Day.
On the occasion, Minister of State for Basic Education (independent charge) Sandeep Singh said the foundation of any country's progress lies in its culture and educated citizens.
He said the Uttar Pradesh government is making the entire education system stronger and more organised under the leadership of CM Adityanath.
Efforts may be made to give a spiritual element to the school environment. For example, during the morning assembly, the students may be given a five-minute talk on verses from the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita or Ramcharitmanas. Such efforts will leave an indelible positive impact in the minds of the children, he added.
He asked the teachers to place their demands democratically and assured them that a memorandum of demands written in no-nonsense style and centered around their issues will be treated "as an order and not a plea".
Forty-one teachers of the basic education department and 13 of the madhyamik education department were given away the awards on the occasion. The Chief Minister himself gave away the awards to them.
One of them being Moolchand from Aligarh, with an injured leg, CM Adityanath walked over to him from the stage to present the award.
The Chief Minister said India has always given respect to "gurus" (teachers).
"Our scriptures reflect reverence for the guru with the mantra, 'Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu'. Sant Kabir Das, in the quote 'Guru Govind Dou Khade', has placed the guru even higher than the god. The reverence for the guru exists because without devotion knowledge can't be attained. It is also said here that 'Shraddhavan Labhate Gyanam' - the devoted attains knowledge. And those who lack knowledge cannot achieve anything in life," he added.
The BJP leader said a teacher is at the centre of the society's reverence, but to become worthy of it, one must engage in hard work.
"Simply obtaining a degree does not bring knowledge, rigorous practice is also necessary. The path of dedication may be difficult, but its results are the best. Teachers should never shy away from the path of hard work and dedication," he said.
He also said he has directed the education department to utilize the services of the award-winning teachers for the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) curricula and textbooks.
He said, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the National Education Policy has set new milestones.
"In this direction, not only traditional curriculum would be followed but innovation too. Innovation can easily take place in every field," he added.
CM Adityanath said as the teachers are the builders of the future of the country, they must keep innovating constantly.
"This can start right at the school level. Teachers, with the assistance of students and parents, can create a clean, beautiful and green school environment," he said.
The Chief Minister appealed to all teachers to align themselves with the Prime Minister's vision of making India a developed country by 2047.
He said the NEP also envisions a developed India, adding that this journey begins with the fulfilment of civic duties.
He further emphasized, "If we focus on our duties, rights will follow automatically."
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