Evolution of great citizens is the mission of education’

Former President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam shares his views about education and gives an example of a perfect school.

I consider that the school principals are the leaders who transform the children into enlightened citizens. I am happy that during the last five decades, ASISC has guided and assisted the members of schools in relation to ICSE Board examination and trained the principals and staff of affiliated schools in updating their knowledge in their own fields and to help discover the talents and foster them among the students.

Let us discuss on dynamic school. Look at the various dimensions and add or modify the dimensions based on your experience and requirement. Now, let me visualize a dynamic school system, how will it be?

Dynamic School* A school that radiates greatness by the teaching capacity of the teachers.

* A school is great because creativity is bubbling everywhere.

* A school is great, because it cherishes the learning environment with library, internet, e-learning and creative laboratories.*

A school is great, because it creates and generate students with confidence that “I can do it” that in-turn will generate the team spirit that “We will do it” and “India will do it”. * A school that promotes best in learning all-round to all the students.

* A school is great because it has teachers who lead a unique way of life with purity and become role models for the students and develop them as enlightened citizens. * A school is great because it has the capacity to teach all students to succeed.

* A school that generates creativity among all students irrespective of whether they belong to arts or science stream. * A school is great, that generates alumni who cherish that they belong to this school.

Teacher of teachersWhen I see the principals from different parts of the country, I look at you dear friends, as one integrated system of education, system of learning and system of knowledge. The seeds of peace in the world have their origin in the righteousness in the heart of every individual.

Such righteous citizens lead to the evolution of enlightened society. Education with value system has to be so designed that the righteousness in the heart is developed in young minds. That should be the mission of education.

The prime learning environment is five to seventeen years of age for over 25,000 hours. This reminds me of an ancient Greek teacher’s saying, “Give me a child for seven years; afterwards, let God or devil take the child.

They cannot change the child”. This indicates the power of great teachers and teacher of teachers. True education is the acquisition of enlightened feelings and enlightened powers to understand daily events and to understand the permanent truth by linking citizen, to his environment, human and planetary.

I would like to quote from the great philosopher Dr. S. Radhakrishnan particularly for the benefit of students and teachers - ‘The sense of human need is there and the teacher can satisfy it by giving to the youth an idea of the fundamental power and worth of man, his spiritual dignity as man, a supra-national culture and an all embracing humanity.’

Albert Einstein to his teacher: “The ideals which have lighted my way, time after time, have given new course to face life cheerfully have been kindness, beauty and truth”. This is the mission of teacher. For example, in the institution the teacher belongs, have created 100s and 1000s of alumni depending upon the school strength.


Teachers who love teaching:I just see a scene in a school having about 50 teachers and 750 students headed by a principal. It is simply a place of beauty for creativity and learning. How is it possible? It is because the school management and the principal selected the teachers who love teaching, who treat the students as their sons, grand sons or grand daughters.

The children see the teacher, as a role model in teaching and how always they look pious through their daily way of life. Above all I see an environment in which there is nothing like a good student, average student or poor student.

The whole school and teacher system is involved in generating students who perform the best. As an example, I recall my teacher Shri Sivasubramania Iyer who taught me, when I was ten year old boy, how the birds fly, in the class room and later by taking us to the sea shore to give practical example.

The way he taught, gave me what to dream in life and what should be the pattern of education which I have to follow.