Take up teaching profession very seriously — Tongpang Ozukum

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Sep. 5 (EMN): PWD Minister, Tongpang Ozukum on Wednesday urged the teachers to take their profession very seriously and to consider teaching as the mother of all professions.

Speaking as the special guest at the 57th Teacher Day celebration organized by AKM at Town Hall, the minister said that celebrating teachers’ day should not be an obligation or a compulsion, but should be considered as a bounden duty for the nation as a whole to give the highest respect and honour to teachers who are considered as ‘nation builders’.

He conveyed heartfelt gratitude to the teachers for giving impeccable contribution in the field of education and also for making a positive impact on the lives of the young minds.

To teach something that is written in the book may be easy but understanding the mind of the students, their desire, their likes and dislikes, their psychology and finally to mould and shape them to become responsible citizens in the society is not easy but teachers have accepted that responsibility; and for that they deserve to be acknowledged, Ozukum remarked.

Asserting that students look up to their teachers as their role model, the minister said what the teachers say and do will greatly impact, either positively or negatively, on the lives of the students.

Therefore, Ozukum reminded the teachers to be more careful in their words and actions because they are dealing with the innocent and young minds and so that the students are not misguided or mislead as they grow up.

Interestingly, Ozukum remarked about the educated youths opting for teaching profession as a last resort and wondered why many educated youths, and even those employed as teachers, consider teaching profession as the last resort for employment.

“I think that understanding, that perception is a dangerous assumption…. becoming a teacher, not by conscious choice….will remain accountable to the thousands of students and also to the society,” the minister said.

He regarded such teachers as not honest or professional teachers, saying that they are employed just for the sake of earning a salary.
“This is something unexpected from the people who are engaged in such a noble profession, who are responsible for building our society on the solid foundation,” he lamented.

Therefore, while urging the teachers to take teaching as a very seriously in order to build a better and brighter society, Ozukum urged the teachers to consider teaching as the mother of all professions.

Ozukum further, said let this Teachers’ celebration be not only a time for honouring the teachers but to let it be a time of “self-evaluation” about one’s performance, contribution and achievement towards this profession as a teacher.

The minister also gave away the DEO Award to 17 teachers, ASLB Award and EFoM Awards to the subject toppers, top twenty position holders in HSLC and overall highest position in India School Certificate Examination (ISCE).

Meanwhile, welcome address was said by AKM President Imkongwati, a short speech was delivered by DEO Mokokchung and special presentations were presented by the students of Jubilee Memorial School, Cure Foundation School, Town Hr. Sec School and Hill View Hr. Sec. School. A special prayer for the teachers was also pronounced by Shilula Imchen, Associate Pastor Women, MTBA.