Teachers matter to me. My work at The Teacher Foundation, makes every day for me, a teachers' day. But today, the 5th of October - World Teachers' Day, I have a special message for
teachers of India.
I borrow from the pastor
and civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. 50 years have gone by
since Dr. Martin Luther King's famous 'I have a Dream Speech' given
in Washington in August 1963. I paraphrase that speech
today....
that one day India will rise
up and live out the true meaning of its intent: "...that every
child has a right to ... education of an equitable quality and
relevance, in schools that satisfy all essential norms and
standards."
I have a dream that
one day, in our schools, children, regardless of social status,or
economic status, or caste, or creed, will be able to learn and play
together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and affection.
I have a dream that
one day every Indian school, burdened today by bureaucratic neglect
and guilty of inequity, inequality and lack of opportunity, will be
transformed into safe, sensitive spaces for learning with freedom and
fairness.
I have a dream that our
grandchildren will one day live in a nation where they will not be
judged by the circumstances of their birth but by the content of
their character.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day,
in every school and classroom, teachers will uphold with honour,
their amazing power to do the right thing for every child, every
day, and to see that no child, however disadvantaged, misses the
education that is her right.
I have a dream today!
I have a dream that one day
the best young men and women in our country, will seek to be
teachers, not just for the status the profession offers, but for the
satisfaction of nurturing India's human potential.
I have a dream that teachers
and principals in schools across our country will set high standards
of professional competence and seek to continuously hone their
knowledge and skills....
Teachers grab the
greatness that's in your reach !
Maya Menon
mayamenon@teacherfoundation.org
mayamenon@teacherfoundation.org
