PM Modi Urges Teachers To Shield Childhood Innocence

The Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, interacted with the winners of this year's National Teachers Award at his residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. He discussed, for some time, how the job of teachers has gone beyond the classroom. This year, there were 82 teachers who were awarded. They belonged to three departments. Out of which, 48 teachers belonged to the Department of School Education and Literacy, 21 teachers belonged to Higher Educational Institutions and Polytechnics, and 13 teachers belonged to the Skill Trainers under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. In the interaction, the award-winning teachers narrated their experiences of teaching and the methods they adopted to engage students in class.

Protecting Children's Curiosity And Innocence

One point that the Prime Minister brought out was that because the joint family structures are becoming increasingly rare, teachers now have an increased influence over the development of a child's day-to-day behavior and habits, not just in terms of his or her academic performance. As pointed out by the Prime Minister, every child has the inherent tendency to be curious, and it's the responsibility of the teacher to cultivate this tendency rather than curtail it because it can go on to affect the child's development.

Screen Time And Drug Use Among Students

Modi even raised an alarm regarding the growing menace of drug abuse amongst students. He urged the teachers to be cautious and observant of any behavioral changes in them. He requested the teachers to take timely action to rehabilitate the affected students and get them back on track. Regarding screen addiction, he emphasized that using mobile phones extensively, particularly at night, is an alarming issue. He advised the teachers to discuss the matter with their parents. According to him, sports and outdoor games, along with creative pursuits, are among the options. On the topic of NEP, he requested teachers to help the students expand their education beyond books. He expected the students to develop worldly skills like appreciation of hard labor.

-Ishita Ranjan