Teachers’ Day 2023: 5 Famous Teachers and Their Impact on the World!

TEACHER'S DAY 2023 : It is rightly said that schools are like our second homes, where teachers are our guardians. The contribution of a teacher to the lives of students is something incomparable. They not only teach subject-based lessons, but also prepare students for real-life challenges. Teachers scold us when we make mistakes but they also help us identify our weaknesses and recognize our strengths, transforming us into better human beings. To celebrate the hard work and dedication of teachers, each year the world celebrates Teachers' Day on September 5.

In India, this special occasion also commemorated the birth anniversary of former President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, a renowned academic, educator and passionate advocate of education. On the occasion of Teachers' Day, let us take a look at some of India's greatest teachers, whose wisdom and contributions we still fondly remember.

Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a strong advocate of educating the youth of the country for a better future. After earning a master's degree in philosophy from Madras Christian College, Radhakrishnan began teaching students at Madras Presidency College. The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Philosophy and The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy are just some of the author's publications on philosophy.

Radhakrishnan made India proud by speaking on behalf of the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire in June 1926. He participated in the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University in September of the same year.

Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Despite being the President of India in 2002, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam proclaimed himself first and foremost a teacher. He was an honorary guest lecturer at IIM Shillong, Ahmedabad. Presenting the National Teacher Award in 2004, Dr. Kalam highlighted the fact that education is a process that fosters creativity. He trusted teachers to teach the youth to think for themselves and solve the problems faced by our nation to achieve a strong and independent India.

Rabindranath Tagore

Although we remember Rabindranath Tagore as a respected poet, his contribution to education is no less significant. Tagore founded a school at Shantiniketan in 1901, which is now known as the Vishwabharati School. The Nobel Prize winner dedicated himself to bringing people closer to nature because he believed that the natural world has much more to teach than what can be learned in a classroom or in books. Classes at his school were often held under the shade of the trees.

Savitribai Phule

Savitribai Phule, who helped found the first girls' school in India, paved the way for other marginalized groups in society, as well as girls, to have access to education. Together with her husband Jyotirao Phule, she founded India's first school for women and became the country's first teacher in 1848. She also actively worked for the upliftment of women, opposing gender violence.

Swami Vivekananda

"Education is the manifestation of perfection already in men", were the words of Swami Vivekananda. He was the driving force behind the Ramakrishna Mission, which encouraged monks and common men to participate in philanthropic activities. He emphasized the importance of first being a good human being, empowering students to face difficult situations and transform them into responsible citizens.