Friends,
We all know that good education is the foundation of the bright future of a nation. The quality of education today decides the tomorrow of Gujarat.
Government may build schools, but the future can be built by the schools only. The key responsibility of building Gujarat’s tomorrow thus lies with the schools.
The first decade of the 21st century was quite important for education in Gujarat, especially for primary education. Whether it is recruitment of the teachers, construction of class-rooms, computer labs, other school facilities, enrollment of students in schools or the mission to reduce the drop-out rate… an unprecedented success has been achieved. But doing all this is yet not adequate.
The soul of education is its quality … and that is why the State Government has taken up the ‘Gunotsav’ campaign. This could have very well been done by the teachers and the Department of Education. But to create the spirit of a high priority to this cause and to make those in the field of education feel the value of this activity, the complete strength of Government machinery has been deployed. Whether it is the Chief Minister or the Chief Secretary, more than 3000 Class-I & II Government officers are visiting the primary schools in Gujarat focusing on various aspects.
I strongly believe that, any child, a tender bud, who has not got an opportunity to bloom cannot be in anyway inferior to his fellow children. God has given enough ability and strength to everyone. The need is to nurture those characteristics, the need is of a good gardener who carefully rears such plants, the need is to guide the child in such a way that he is never lost or goes astray on the road ahead. What is required is to create an atmosphere wherein a teacher becomes attached and sensitive to his student, he feels the passion and responsibility to foster his student, like a gardener does to his garden. We need to take the teachers out of the old rut and orthodox thoughts through inspiration and motivation. We need to make them feel the significance of their role. ‘Gunotsav’ is an endeavour to create such an environment.
‘Gunotsav’ is a special campaign meant for inspiring the teachers and students to do better and to exhibit the same. Each of you must have experienced that whenever a camera is focused on us, we automatically become alert in our posture and gestures to get a good photo. Though we know that the camera is not going to evaluate us, we become ready to show the best within us in front of the camera. Gunotsav is something similar to this. It provides the necessary focus to the entire activity of quality education. It provides an opportunity to the teachers, school authorities and students to exhibit the best in them. It motivates as well as cautions them that they are in front of lens. This is only a step forward, following which we have to go further.
Friends, ‘Gunotsav’ of the last year has brought some encouraging results. I would like to draw your attention towards a small encouraging example.
12 lacs children were found weak during last ‘Gunotsav’. Teachers took ‘Upachaar Varg’ (remedial classes) for three months by allocating extra time. When these children were evaluated by the UNICEF subsequently, 85% of these children had improved and reached a satisfactory level. There are several such examples.
Let us become partner in the ‘Gunotsav’.
Let us give some time for the development of our children as a guardian.
Friends, today’s age is that of learning rather than teaching. In this context watch a small video clip here… . I like it very much. I hope you too will like it
Yours,
