International Teachers’ Day and Teachers’ Day in India

Teachers’ Day International Teachers’ Day and Teachers’ Day in India By : admin@tqfassam.cuccfree.org

“Teachers’ Day in India” The idea of celebrating Teachers' Day took root in many countries during the 20th century; in most cases, they celebrate a local educator or an important milestone in education (for example, Argentina has commemorated Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's death on 11th September since 1915, while India has celebrated the birth-date of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 5th Sept. since 1962.

In many countries, Teachers' Day is a special day for the appreciation of teachers, and may include celebrations to honour them for their special contributions in a particular field area, or the community in general. The date on which Teachers' Day is celebrated varies from country to country. Teachers' days in different countries are distinct from World Teachers' Day, which is celebrated on 5th October.

The idea of celebrating Teachers' Day took root in many countries during the 20th century; in most cases, they celebrate a local educator or an important milestone in education (for example, Argentina has commemorated Domingo Faustino Sarmiento's death on 11th September since 1915, while India has celebrated the birth-date of
Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 5th Sept. since 1962. This is the primary reason why countries celebrate this day on different dates, unlike many other International Days.

Date of Teachers’ day celebrated in different countries:

Afghanistan October, Albania 7th March, Algeria 28th February, Argentina 11th Sept., Armenia 5th October, Armenia previously celebrated the Teacher's Day on the first Sunday of October. Under a parliamentary decision to amend the law on the Republic of Armenia Holidays and Commemoration Days, the holiday was shifted to 5th October. Australia Last Friday in October, On Australia’s celebration of World Teachers’ Day, the NEiTA Foundation and the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) is proud to announce the national teaching recipients of the ASG Community Merit Awards. World Teachers’ Day was started by UNESCO and is celebrated in more than 100 countries around the world each year. On its 40th anniversary this year, it represents a significant token of the awareness, understanding and appreciation displayed for the contribution that teachers make to education. If Halloween is on a Friday, they have to be scheduled to 7th November. Azerbaijan 5th October, Bangladesh 5th October, Belarus First Sunday of October Brunei Darussalam 23rd September. Bhutan 2nd May, Bolivia 6th June, Brazil 15th October, Bulgaria 5th October Cameroon 5th October, Canada 5th October Chile 16th October, China 10th September, Colombia 15th May, Costa Rica 22nd November, Cuba 22nd December, Czech Republic 28^th March the birthday of John Amos Comenius, Ecuador 13th April, Egypt 28th February, El Salvador 22nd June, Estonia 5th October, Germany 5th October, Greece 30th January, Guatemala 25th June, Honduras 17th September, Hong Kong 10th September, Hungary First Sunday of June, India 5th September The birth date (5th September 1888) of the second President of India, Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, is celebrated, where teachers and students report to school as usual but the usual activities and classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance. In some schools, on this day senior students take the responsibility of teaching in order to show their appreciation for the teachers. Another day set aside for commemorating teachers in India and Nepal is Guru Purnima, also called 'Ashadh Shukla Pournima'. It typically falls in mid-July. Indonesia 25th November, Iran 2nd May, The Islamic Republic government changed the former date to coincide with the assassination of Dr Morteza Motahhari on 2nd May 1979. Iraq October 1, Jamaica 6 May, Jordan 28th February, Laos 7th October Latvia The first Sunday of October, Lebanon 9 March Between 3rd –9th March, Libya 28th February, Lithuania 5th October, Macedonia 5th October, Malaysia 16th May, Maldives 5th October, Mauritius 5th October, Mexico 15th May, Republic of Moldova 5th October, Mongolia First weekend of October, Morocco 28th February, Myanmar (aka Burma) 16th January, Nepal Full moon day of Ashad. The full moon day is also called Ashad sukla purnima; the date usually falls in mid-July. Teacher's Day is called "Guru Purnima" in Nepali, where "Guru" means teacher and "Purnima" means "Full Moon". Netherlands 5th October, New Zealand 29th October, Oman 28th February, Pakistan 5th October, Panama 1st December, Paraguay 30th April, Peru 6 July, Philippines 5th October, Poland 14th October, Kuwait 5th October, Qatar 5th October, Romania 5th June, Russia 5th October, Saint Lucia 4th October – 11th October (Teachers week), Saudi Arabia 28th February, Serbia 5th October Singapore First Friday of September, Slovakia 28 March Commemorates the birthdate of John Amos Comenius. South Korea 15 May, South Sudan 1st December (2011–12); 1st October (2013-present) The president of South Sudan proclaimed Teacher's Day for December 1st , one month before the country's first Teacher's Day. On 1st September, one month before the country's third Teacher's Day, it was publicly announced that they changed the date to 1st October. Sri Lanka 6 October, Spain 27th November, Syria 18 March, Taiwan 28th September, Thailand 16th January, Tunisia 28th February, Turkey 24th November, Ukraine first Sunday of October, United Arab Emirates 5th October, United Kingdom 5th October, Uzbekistan 1st October, Vietnam 20th November, Venezuela 15th January, Yemen 28th February.

[*21 countries celebrate a common Teachers' Day on 5th October: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Macedonia, Maldives, Mauritius, Republic of Moldova, Netherlands, Pakistan, Philippines, Kuwait, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Serbia, the United Arab Emirates and the UK.

*11 countries celebrate a common Teachers' Day on 28th February: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Sudan and Oman.]

Teachers’ Day in India:

India has celebrated the birth-date of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan 5th Sept. since 1962 as Teachers’ Day.

Photograph of Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan presented to First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962.

Bharat Ratna Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan: Official Records: 2nd President of India, 14 May 1962–13 May 1967 1st Vice-President of India 26 Jan 1952–12 May 1962 Personal Details: Born : 5th Sept. 1888, Thiruttani, Madras Presidency, British India, (now in Tamil Nadu, India) Died : 17th Apr, 1975 (aged 86), Madras, Tamil Nadu, India (now Chennai) Political Party : Independent Spouse(s) : Sivakamu, Lady Radhakrishnan Children : Five daughters & One son Alma Mater : Madras Christian College, University of Madras Profession : Philosopher, Professor Religion : Hinduism

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (5th September 1888 – 17th April 1975) was an Indian philosopher and statesman, who was the first Vice President of India (1952–1962) and the second President of India from 1962 to 1967. One of India's most distinguished twentieth-century scholars of comparative religion and philosophy, his academic appointments included the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta (1921–1932) and Spalding Professor of Eastern Religion and Ethics at University of Oxford (1936–1952). His philosophy was grounded in Advaita Vedanta, reinterpreting this tradition for a contemporary understanding.[web 2] He defended Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism", contributing to the formation of contemporary Hindu identity. He has been influential in shaping the understanding of Hinduism, in both India and the west, and earned a reputation as a bridge-builder between India and the West. Radhakrishnan was awarded several high awards during his life, including a knighthood in 1931, the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India, in 1954, and honorary membership of the British Royal Order of Merit in 1963. Radhakrishnan believed that "teachers should be the best minds in the country". Since 1962, his birthday is celebrated in India as Teachers' Day on 5th September.

Early Life :

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in a Telugu family in a village near Thiruttani India, in the erstwhile Madras Presidency near the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu states. His father's name was Sarvepalli Veeraswami and his mother's was Sitamma. His early years were spent in Thiruttani and Tirupati. His father was a subordinate revenue official in the service of a local zamindar (landlord). His primary education was at Primary Board High School at Thiruttani. In 1896 he moved to the Hermansburg Evangelical Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati. Education : Radhakrishnan was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. He joined Voorhees College in Vellore but switched to the Madras Christian College at the age of 17. He graduated from there in 1906 with a master's degree in Philosophy, being one of its most distinguished alumni. Radhakrishnan studied philosophy by chance rather than choice. Being a financially constrained student, when a cousin who graduated from the same college passed on his philosophy textbooks in to Radhakrishnan, it automatically decided his academic course. Radhakrishnan wrote his thesis for the M.A. degree on "The Ethics of the Vedanta and its Metaphysical Presuppositions”. It "was intended to be a reply to the charge that the Vedanta system had no room for ethics.” He was afraid that this M.A. thesis would offend his philosophy professor, Dr. Alfred George Hogg. Instead, Hogg commended Radhakrishnan on having done most excellent work.[citation needed] Radhakrishnan's thesis was published when he was only twenty. According to Radhakrishnan himself, the criticism of Hogg and other Christian teachers of Indian culture "disturbed my faith and shook the traditional props on which I leaned." Radhakrishnan himself describes how, as a student, “ The challenge of Christian critics impelled me to make a study of Hinduism and find out what is living and what is dead in it. My pride as a Hindu, roused by the enterprise and eloquence of Swami Vivekananda, was deeply hurt by the treatment accorded to Hinduism in missionary institutions.” This led him to his critical study of Indian philosophy and religion and a lifelong defence of Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism". Marriage and family : Radhakrishnan was married to Sivakamu, a distant cousin, at the age of 16. As per tradition the marriage was arranged by the family. The couple had five daughters and a son, Sarvepalli Gopal. Sarvepalli Gopal went on to a notable career as a historian. Sivakamu died in 1956. They were married for over 51 years. Former Indian Test Cricketer VVS Laxman is his great grand nephew.

Academic career :

In April 1909, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed to the Department of Philosophy at the Madras Presidency College. Thereafter, in 1918, he was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore, where he taught at its Maharaja's College, Mysore. By that time he had written many articles for journals of repute like The Quest, Journal of Philosophy and the International Journal of Ethics. He also completed his first book, The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore. He believed Tagore's philosophy to be the "genuine manifestation of the Indian spirit". His second book, The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy was published in 1920. In 1921 he was appointed as a professor in philosophy to occupy the King George V Chair of Mental and Moral Science at the University of Calcutta. He represented the University of Calcutta at the Congress of the Universities of the British Empire in June 1926 and the International Congress of Philosophy at Harvard University in September 1926. Another important academic event during this period was the invitation to deliver the Hibbert Lecture on the ideals of life which he delivered at Harris Manchester College, Oxford in 1929 and which was subsequently published in book form as An Idealist View of Life. In 1929 Radhakrishnan was invited to take the post vacated by Principal J. Estlin Carpenter at Harris Manchester College. This gave him the opportunity to lecture to the students of the University of Oxford on Comparative Religion. For his services to education he was knighted by George V in the June 1931 Birthday Honours, and formally invested with his honour by the Governor-General of India, the Earl of Willingdon, in April 1932. However, he ceased to use the title after Indian independence, preferring instead his academic title of 'Doctor'. He was the Vice-Chancellor of Andhra University from 1931 to 1936. In 1936 Radhakrishnan was named Spalding Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at the University of Oxford, and was elected a Fellow of All Souls College. That same year, and again in 1937, he was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature (although this nomination process, for all laureates, was not public at the time. Further nominations for the award would continue steadily into the 1960s.) In 1939 Pt. Madan Mohan Malaviya invited him to succeed him as the Vice-Chancellor of Banaras Hindu University (BHU). He served as its Vice-Chancellor till January 1948. Political career : Radhakrishnan started his political career "rather late in life", after his successful academic career. His international authority preceded his political career. In 1931 he was nominated to the League of Nations Committee for International Cooperation, where after "in Western eyes he was the recognized Hindu authority on Indian ideas and a persuasive interpreter of the role of Eastern institutions in contemporary society."[3] When India became independent in 1947, Radhakrishnan represented India at UNESCO (1946–52) and was later Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952. He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Vice-President of India in 1952, and elected as the second President of India (1962–1967).

Radhakrishnan did not have a background in the Congress Party, nor was he active in the struggle against British rule. His motivation lay in his pride of Hindu culture, and the defence of Hinduism against "uninformed Western criticism". According to Brown, He had always defended Hindu culture against uninformed Western criticism and had symbolized the pride of Indians in their own intellectual traditions. Teachers' Day : When he became the President of India, some of his students and friends requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday, 5th September. He replied, "Instead of celebrating my birthday, it would be my proud privilege if 5 September is observed as Teachers' Day." His birthday 5th Sept. has since been celebrated as Teachers' Day in India. Awards and honours : 1931: appointed a Knight Bachelor in 1931, although he ceased to use the title "Sir" after India attained independence. 1938: elected Fellow of the British Academy. 1954: The Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India. 1954: German "Order pour le Merite for Arts and Science" 1961: the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. 1962: Institution of Teacher's Day in India, yearly celebrated at 5 September, Radhakrishnan's birthday, in honour of Radhakrishnan's believe that "teachers should be the best minds in the country". 1963: the British Order of Merit. 1968: Sahitya Akademi fellowship,The highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on a writer(he is the first person to get this award) 1975: the Templeton Prize in 1975, a few months before his death, for advocating non-aggression and conveying "a universal reality of God that embraced love and wisdom for all people."***He donated the entire amount of the Templeton Prize to Oxford University. 1989: institution of the Radhakrishnan Scholarships by Oxford University in the memory of Radhakrishnan. The scholarships were later renamed the "Radhakrishnan Chevening Scholarships". Quotes : "It is not God that is worshipped but the authority that claims to speak in His name. Sin becomes disobedience to authority not violation of integrity." "Reading a book gives us the habit of solitary reflection and true enjoyment." "When we think we know, we cease to learn." "A literary genius, it is said, resembles all, though no one resembles him." "There is nothing wonderful in my saying that Jainism was in existence long before the Vedas were composed."

(Information collected from various sources)