Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Kerala Higher Education Minister Roji M John on Saturday said institutions of higher education must remain spaces of independent thought and constitutional values, and said it was inappropriate for their heads to associate with organisations that promote divisive agendas.
In a Facebook post on Teachers’ Day, he said such conduct went against the dignity of the posts they hold.
His remarks come at a time when the state government and Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar, who is the chancellor of universities in Kerala, are at odds over issues related to state universities, including the appointment of vice-chancellors and the nomination of Senate members. The issue had also taken an ideological turn after some vice-chancellors took part in an RSS programme attended by its chief Mohan Bhagwat in June.
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“It is not at all befitting of a democratic society that those heading institutions of higher education, which should be centres of independent thought and constitutional values, forget the dignity of the positions they hold and confine themselves to platforms of organisations that promote divisive agendas,” John said.
He added, “Such tendencies, which surrender the privilege of academic autonomy before narrow political interests, question the very essence of education and teaching.”
John had also criticised the participation of vice-chancellors in the RSS programme earlier, saying the position of a vice-chancellor represented academic and administrative neutrality.
The minister said Teachers’ Day should remind teachers of their responsibility to shape generations with humanity and without discrimination. Recalling Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, India’s second President, he said Radhakrishnan believed in the importance of teaching and wanted his birthday to be observed as Teachers’ Day across the country.
He also referred to educationists and teachers such as Rabindranath Tagore, APJ Abdul Kalam, Sukumar Azhikode, ONV Kurup, MGS Narayanan and Prof M Leelavathy, and said they had inspired generations to dream, question, challenge and think independently.
Referring to students being humiliated on the basis of caste, John said those responsible had failed to understand the essence of teaching.
“Those who, sitting inside a staff room, humiliated and insulted a student by calling the student by their caste name and drove them towards ending their life are people who failed to understand the essence of teaching,” he said. “They failed to realise that the responsibility of teaching is to shape humane human beings from within classrooms.”
He extended Teachers’ Day greetings to teachers who, in his words, dispel darkness with knowledge and teach students to uphold constitutional values and humanity.
India observes Teachers’ Day on September 5 every year to mark Radhakrishnan’s birth anniversary and honour teachers.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
