Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwaraha
Guru Sakshat Parabrahma,
Tasmai Shri Gurve Namah!

This means-

'Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh'. The teacher (Guru) is the visible 'Great God. I, therefore, bow to him.

In the olden days, education was confined to the centres of learning or 'Gurukulas'. The Guru was the store-house of learning and the knowledge imparted {ज्ञान) was 'power'. Kings left their thrones for him only to receive his blessings. The discipline was strict, though the gurus rarely used their powers of reprimand; yet the lurking fear of their curse ('शाप') and the punishment were considered to be conducive to better learning. The Gurukula system of education was famous due to the Gurus- Takshila, Nalanda, Ujjaini and Kashi- it could boast of. Gurus like Dronacharya, Vishwamitra, Vashishtha, Panini, and even Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore or Mahatma Gandhi are acclaimed the world over for their contributions to education. Mahatma Jyotirao Phule was the first Indian to the cause of the universalization of education. His wife, Savitribai was the first woman teacher in India. This was not confined to India alone. Rousseau, Aristotle, Froebel, Montessori, Plato, Socrates, Marx and even Mao have been recognized as the best teachers of their times.

Rabindranath Tagore or 'Gurudev' as he was fondly called by the students of Shantiniketan' was a landmark in the cultural evolution of India. Tagore has given a basic truth about teaching- 'A LAMP CAN NEVER LIGHT ANOTHER LAMP UNLESS IT CONTINUES TO BURN ITS OWN FLAME'. He compared a teacher to a lamp that is burning its flame to spread the light and from its light can be lighted hundreds and thousands of lamps {pupils). A teacher can never truly teach unless he is still learning himself. The teacher who has come to the end of his subject, who has no living traffic with his knowledge, but merely repeats his lesson, tends to only load the students' minds.

A teacher's role does not involve mere stuffing of information in the young minds but the development of self-confidence in his pupils to use their innate potentialities, face the challenges of tomorrow and play a major role as useful, environment-friendly citizens and responsible members of society with full consciousness of their rights and duties.

A teacher with his ever-increasing fund of sympathy and affection, sound understanding. Good communication and rapport should control his class in a democratic manner, without being an autocrat; encourage all and discourage none. He should never expect the silence of a graveyard in the classroom, instead, wishing for the calm of a garden where bees hum and cuckoos sing. He should himself be a fellow traveller in the exciting pursuit of knowledge. A TEACHER AFFECTS ETERNITY, NO ONE CAN TELL WHERE HIS INFLUENCE STOPS. A teacher should excite in young minds a boundless sense of curiosity so that the learning process continues as long as the person lives. Doctors engineers, administrators, executives, businessmen, judges, even the first citizen of India, the President, who is the highest-paid employee of the state and who is above all laws of the nation, is a teacher's gift to a nation.

In the 21st century, the big joint families of the past are fast disappearing and smaller nuclear families have taken their place. The joint family introduced their children to the culture of society, shaped their personality and provided vocational education where the sons inherited what their fathers professed. With changing economic conditions, social crises as well and technological advancements, contact between family members is becoming less day by day. The school becomes a substitute for the home and the teacher a substitute for the mother, a surrogate parent. It is the teacher's role that is of prime importance in imparting knowledge of subjects combined with knowledge of culture, a sense of pride in Indian culture and traditions, scientific attitude, religious tolerance, equity, brotherhood, faith in democracy and conservation of environment.

DESTINY OF A NATION IS SHAPED IN THE CLASSROOM. Every individual is born with certain potentialities. No two children are the same in growth, intellectual and emotional qualities, speed of learning etc. A teacher must INSTRUCT, INSPIRE and have an INSIGHT, boost a child's morale and motivate a child to use his innate potential to the fullest. Today, a teacher's role is multifaceted - he is an instructor, guide, philosopher, facilitator and counsellor. According to the Bible, the teacher is a good old shepherd, the protector of his little sheep. Here I remember a famous quote from Nelson Mandela who was known and loved around the world for his commitment to peace, negotiation and reconciliation once quoted that “A leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon others follow, not realising that all along they are being directed from behind” all along they are.

KNOWLEDGE DOUBLES ITSELF IN A DECADE. If we do not follow the pace of the knowledge explosion, we will put the hands of the clock backwards and the country lagging will earn no credit in the days to come. Today's world is the world of computers. Advantageous use of communication technology for the benefit of mankind while liberating young minds from vices, superstitions and evil influences, imbibing the cultures and traditions of one's own country, encouraging national consciousness and international understanding, strengthening the bonds of unity is the need of the hour.

A teacher's dedication and passion for learning and teaching can help to achieve great success in nation-building activity and promote the growth of modern democracy thus creating global.

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