Teacher's Day live .............from town hall, Gandhinagar (qna with Modi)

04/09/2010. By Himanshu Acharya

Hello Friends,

Today I am going to narrate my experience of visiting Gujarat Govt Official Teacher’s Day Celebration at Townhall, Gandhinagar. As I am basically from Gandhinagar itself, kindly bear some old memories of mine. You will read here how was the audinace, ambiance,  small events which made big impacts, all 26 question and answers in detail word by word, and some personal observations. I am sure you will enjoy a lot, kindly write your comment at the end.

So, this time Teacher’s day comes on Sunday (5^th Sep), so at last moment Govt decided to organize the same on 4^th Sep (Saturday). There were some quick rearrangements, but everything was fine, you could not judge last moment change.

Agenda of the Program

Official (ઔપચરિક): Inauguration speech by Education Minister, Governor, Chief Minister, To honor best teachers-principals, closing.

Unofficial (અનૌપચરિક) : Question and answer by 26 students (district wise), some other felicitation of teaching word experts, guidelines defining and other.

There was a jam-packed town hall, official time was 10:00 AM, I was there by sharp 9:45, it was already pack but I secured one seat anyhow. But within 5-10 min situation is like that, people seat on the steps, many are standing in corners and some of them standing outside the hall where there was arrangement of big screen. There were mostly teachers, aged persons, visitors like me and students of surrounding schools.

I write last sentence specifically because I remember that, during my school days we were forced to attend such function to show the presence in the hall, very few outsiders and typical half an hour to one hour program. Current function is totally different in that sense. You can say there are 50% teachers, 30% outsiders, 20% student.

Some quick highlights of the program.

• Time written in newspaper was 10:00 AM and it started at 10.30AM, which is quite normal, as everyone settled down and there will be no chaos when guest comes. Please don’t criticize at this point.
• There was a continuous very good music going on by teachers themselves. There was a group which sung some very good and known Gujarati cultural songs, Rashtriya songs, and finally Balgits (children songs). They all are teachers from various parts of Gujarat, indeed there was a very good cooperation between them. Two singer, one table guy, one piono guy. They have maintained their rhythm till the Guest comes.
• Education department has made arrangement to send individual photograph of teachers to their address who are going to be honored. They had announced the same so that their relatives don’t rush to front of stage when they are honored by Modiji or Kamlaji.
• Modiji  arrived first and got standing ovation, immediately Kamlaji (Our Governor) arrived and they both went to our first president Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan’s statue. Modi has taken out his sandal first and then made vandana to statue.
• Now Govt has decided to greet each guest with book instead of bouquet (બુકે નહિ બુક) during current “Vanche Gujarat” drive, so all four ministers and Governor greeted with book.
• There were total 7 person on stage, 4 minister (including modiji), 2 govt official and a Governor.
• There were agenda of program put on the table in front of each individual on stage, but only modi has gone through for 2-3 minutes of that agenda file. Our Governor followed the same after 2 min, but it was clearly formality for few seconds.
• This program was broadcasted live to all the Govt, granted schools across the state through BISAG studio ( almost 1.5 crore student across state), also it was webcasted online also.
• Education minister mentioned some key points where like India first and some real achievements like, dropout ratio down to 2.9% from 36% due to Kanya Kelvani and Shala Praveshotsav since last 8 years.
• Vidhyasahayak’s online enrollment and allotment through centralized, online system within 27 days
• They have made at least one science stream school and college within each Taluka, including tribal and coastal areas.
• They have honored around 30 teachers and principal, not in typical style with only name and school name, but they announce individual achievements when they are accepting Shawl and very good prashasti-patra (letter). Their achievements includes tree plantation, ras-garba, scout activity,science exhibition, youth activities, school building, library work, sports and many more things.
• Modi has mentioned in his speech that Chanakaya the great loves to be identified as “TEACHER” only, and this parampara continued to Dr. Radhakrishnan who also want to be identified as teacher only though he has got highest post.
• Modi has mentioned that this program is unique in its nature as all the school boys and girls see his teacher to be honored live thorugh BISAG and webcast. He wished that this system replicates within India so that teacher and students both got moral boost.
• Gujarat is first in India which has taken insurance of each and every student from std 1^st to graduate or post graduate level.
• He has emphasized more to implement mid day meal scheme under direct supervision of Teachers of individual schools, so that maximum children got benefitted.
• He has narrated one incident during last Gunotsav (2009), where one lady teacher cried during Modi’s visit to school, she thinks that there is something missing in themselves so that modi needs to come to school personally (અમારામાં જ કૈક કચાશ રહી છે જેથી તમારે પોતે અહી આવવું પડ્યું). Now some teachers work on Sunday also with own interest.
• He wished to extend Gunotsav to District and Taluka level. He want every children to take part in coming KHEL-KUMBH so that they can be physically fit.
• KAMLAJI- our Governor gave importance go woman and elder education, educate sarpanch(specially woman)

On this occasion he launched one website which teste your genera knowledge about Gujarat. There are 5000 questions on that website in different section, levels so that student as well elders can also participate. It is called GQ test. Please visit below link and participate.

http://www.gujaratquiz.in

He has also inaugurated almost 2650 website on various trades through Gujarat Technological University.

Modi’s speech was full of new ideas and fact-figures of already implemented ideas, while Kamlaji’s speech was typical one where she emphasized on typical problems with no clear ideas. Main differences was

Modi: We have done this and that, we have to work on this particular idea, learning should be there in teaching, talks about future and solutions. Definite vision and solution.

Kamlaji: These are the problems, in these much areas, we have to eliminate this, we have to work upon it, talks about past and problems, no solution and vision

Kamlaji left after honoring session. There was police band during both the time and our national anthem was sung when she arrives and leaves. I have interacted with many teachers, and they all in single voice said that there is a lot of change during last few years. Most of them feel motivated and satisfied.

In next session, modi has done live interaction in the form of question answer with 26 children (district wise). I have noted down each and every question and answer. I will post the same in next post, keep replying. It was the best part as some are direct questions like how you manage your time, how you remember long speech and figures without paper and many more.

Main thing of whole program was, there was totally out of box thinking, all teachers have listened very well and seriously. Even if they implement or even think over it, students will definitely going to be benefitted.

Thanks for reading up to this line. I do hope that you enjoy this and spread it further.

Author can be reached at himanshu.acharya@gmail.com