Like One Family- World, Global Education should also be One

Teachers’ communities wield great power in the world, their relevance, necessity and usefulness can never end. The huge responsibility of building a better world rests on the shoulders of teachers. If there is even a little mistake in this responsibility, then the foundation for building society, nation and the world remains hollow. Keeping this in mind, World Teachers' Day was started by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on October 5, 1994. Its objective is to discuss the important contribution that teachers around the world are making in shaping the lives of approximately 2.5 billion children of the world. UNESCO is determined to give the message of education, science, peace and progress to the world through its programs.

India has been a major center of education from ancient times and has played a pioneering role in the world. In the modern era of economic turmoil, terror, war and violence, the role of teachers has become very important as they not only impart knowledge to the students, but also teach them other skills necessary in life. Teachers collaborate with the students and also make them understand the moral values and peaceful life which are very important for a good citizen. For the all-round development of students, teachers will have to prepare such students who are scientific-spiritual, who have physical and mental development along with intellectual and emotional development. Famous educationist Dr. A. S. Altekar has written - "Education is such a source of light and power, which changes our nature and makes it excellent by continuous harmonious development of our physical, mental, material and spiritual powers and abilities." When the foundation is strong, the pillars and roof become strong, then the palace can be erected. When the individual consciousness becomes pure, when it comes to the development of community consciousness, this strengthens the world consciousness. Education based on universal humanity will be sacred and effective only when the role of human consciousness or individual consciousness remains sacred in its background.
Nobel Prize winner Nelson Mandela had said, “Education is the most powerful weapon that can change the whole world.” Thoughts of war and peace originate in the human mind. The best stage for a human being to receive thoughts is childhood. Thoughts of peace have to be inculcated in the human mind right from childhood. Education should be such that the child develops a global outlook of loving the whole world. In the era of Global Village, there should be a uniform educational system all over the world. The uniformity of world education is the biggest need of this era. Dr. Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, had said, “The twentieth century has been the most bloody and violent century in human history.”

In the twentieth century, two world wars, the attacks by two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the widespread devastation in the world took place; all this havoc has happened due to narrow nationalism. The Russia-Ukraine war has been going on continuously for about one and a half years, for which our education is the most responsible. Schools in all the countries of the world teach the children of their respective countries to love their country, but do not teach them to love the whole world. If the world remains safe, all the countries will also remain safe and then the individual will also remain safe. Western educationist John Dewey has written, "The teacher is always the prophet of God for the child, who is the one who brings entry into the true kingdom of God." Like a creator, a teacher fills the void created by the society through building future generations of the society, or tries to fill this void. If his responsibility is lacking, then he cannot be forgiven.
A teacher is like a gardener who decorates a garden with flowers of different colours, who inspires the students to walk with a smile even on the thorns. The criteria of a true teacher presented by J. Krishnamurti reveals the greatness of his personality, "A true teacher is rich from within, hence he does not want anything for himself, he is not ambitious, he does not base his teachings on the basis of position or power." It does not create a means to achieve anything; true culture is not based on engineers and technicians, but on teachers. Today's education, however, has become a business, rather than a mission. Many teachers and schools have started bidding for their knowledge. If we look at the present world perspective, the tradition of Guru-disciple is getting tarnished somewhere. Every day we listen to numerous reports of misbehaviour, assault and indiscipline by teachers. World Teachers' Day is an occasion when we work to refine the fading tradition and ideal education of teachers and to create responsible individuals.
In the present times, the role of teacher may have changed, but the importance and responsibility of personality-building has become even more relevant, because without the development of all-round ability, it is extremely difficult to move along with the progressing times and maintain oneself. Only steel-like determination and the ability to do everything can enhance personality, and only teachers create such personalities. According to Swami Vivekananda, all-round development means – being big in heart, high in mind and great in action. For the development of all-round personality, teachers kept trying to refine their own conduct, values, behaviour and thoughts. India's Missile Man, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has said, “If a country is corruption- free, and has become a nation of beautiful minds, then I strongly feel that there are three major social members who can make a difference, and they are father, mother and teachers.” This quote from Dr. Kalam symbolizes the influence of teachers in the world. Teachers have the most inspiring profession and a huge responsibility in this world. The post of a teacher is very dignified, because just as there are seeds, fertilizers and equipment for farming, if there are no farmers, then everything is useless. Similarly, if there is a school- building, teaching material and students; however, without teachers everything is useless. In the words of the great philosopher Acharya Mahapragya – “The task of personality-building is very difficult. Only a selfless and conscious teacher can create another personality.” We saw the passion of a teacher in the film Super-30. In this film Prof. Anand's education movement has been presented effectively.
Today the importance of teachers and education has become a lot more than ever before. As Mahatma Gandhi had said, “If one school is opened, a hundred jails will be closed.” But today the opposite is happening. With the increase in the number of schools, the space in jails is becoming smaller. The number of jails is also increasing in the same proportion. It is clear that the present education system and teachers are also responsible to some extent for the increase in violence and crimes. In ancient times, the aim of education was 'Sa Vidya Ya Vimuktaye' i.e. education is that which leads to liberation. Today the aim of education has become 'sa vidya ya niyuktaye' i.e. only education which leads to appointment in government jobs. From this point of view, the changing meaning of education has changed the world mentality. This is the reason why people in today's society only want to be educated and do not want to become well-educated and cultured.

According to the proclamation of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the great thought of making the world one family is developing, along with this, it is expected to work on the policy of 'the same teachers and the same education' all over the world. For this, it is expected that there should be not only an educational revolution, but also a teachers’ revolution.