Education should prepare students not merely for examinations but also for a meaningful life, said retired Supreme Court judge Shivraj V. Patil.
Addressing a gathering of secondary school teachers through a video interaction at the ‘Guruve Namah’ programme held at the Justice Shivraj V. Patil Cultural Bhavan on the Sarvajna School campus in Kalaburagi on Sunday (September 6), Mr. Patil said true education should lead to a meaningful life, contribute to economic development, enlighten the mind, purify the heart and promote self-improvement.
The programme was organised by the Justice Shivraj V. Patil Foundation, Sarvajna and Justice Shivraj Patil PU College as part of Teachers’ Day celebrations. The conference focused on improving SSLC results in Kalyana Karnataka and promoting value-based education. Hundreds of secondary school teachers from Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir and Raichur districts participated.
Mr. Patil said teachers should provide students with value-based education and cautioned that lowering educational standards and allowing students to resort to malpractice in examinations could have serious consequences.
“Educational institutions should function as temples of learning rather than commercial establishments,” he said.
Inaugurating the programme, Karnataka High Court Kalaburagi Bench judge T.N. Inavally said teachers, along with parents, had an important role in shaping the lives of children. Referring to Mahatma Gandhi’s warning that knowledge without character could be akin to sin, he urged teachers to impart values along with academic knowledge.
“Teachers must prepare children not only for examinations but also for life. Teachers should cultivate the habit of spending at least half an hour in libraries every morning. Students could be encouraged to develop a similar reading habit by following their example,” Mr. Inavally said.
Actor Ramesh Aravind, who delivered a motivational address, described a good school, a good book and a good teacher as “temples of Saraswati”.
Referring to the traditional description of the guru as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara, he said teachers should create a positive learning environment, recognise the individual talents of students and remove unnecessary fears from their minds.
He said every student had different abilities and potential and teachers should identify, nurture and encourage those individual strengths rather than expect every child to excel in the same manner. Teachers, he added, should instil confidence in students and help them overcome their fears.
N. Sharanappa, president of the Justice Shivraj Patil Foundation, presided over the programme, while Channareddy Patil, founder of Sarvajna educational institutions, delivered the introductory address.
Motivational speaker Mahesh Mashal also addressed the teachers.
S.M. Shivaprasad, an IIT Dharwad professor and scientist, spoke about emerging technologies, including nanotechnology, biotechnology and artificial intelligence, and their potential to transform life in the coming years.
Yadgir DDPI C.S. Mudhol, Kalaburagi DDPI Shankramma Dhavalagi, Amaregowda Virupapur, retired judge S.M. Patil, chartered accountant Prashant Bijaspur, Sarvajna educational institutions’ chief academic director Abhishek Channareddy Patil, director Sangeeta Abhishek Patil, staff members Prashant Kulkarni, Vinuta R.B., Karunesh Hiremath, Prabhugouda Siddareddy and Gururaj Kulkarni were present.
