NEW DELHI: For Archana Nooguri, it was not easy to motivate tribal children in Telangana to come and study. Not only was she able to convince them, but she also arranged furniture, water, LED projectors, additional classes, and even computers – collected through donations – for her school.
As the school was some distance away for the poor students in the age group of 5 years to 10 years, she arranged with her own money an auto-rickshaw to pick and drop them.
The children not only learned to read and write, but she motivated them to even write in their language the stories of their forefathers. “The children’s stories would soon come out in a book form,” Nooguri, a head teacher in the primary school, told The New Indian Express.
Nooguri is among the 75 teachers awarded the prestigious National Teachers Award by President Droupadi Murmu on Tuesday during Teachers Day. Feeling proud of receiving the national award for the year 2023, Nooguri said that the honour would motivate her further to make young children from poor backgrounds learn how to read and write.
The 75 teachers include 50 school teachers, 13 teachers from higher education and 12 teachers from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. Of the total awards, 18 went to teachers from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. It was the first time that higher education and skill category teachers were also awarded along with school teachers. The award carries a certificate of merit, a cash award of Rs. 50,000 and a silver medal.
Among the awardees are Dr S.R. Mahadeva Prasanna, a professor from IIT Dharwad, Karnataka; Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi, a yoga instructor who teaches free to underprivileged people from Andhra; Shiyad S, a senior instructor who teaches welding in ITI, Palakkad, Kerala and is known for his innovation of coconut dehusking equipment; and Dr T Godwin Vedanayagam Rajkumar, a physical education teacher from Tamil Nadu.
Wheel-chair bound, Mekala Bhaskar Rao, told The New Indian Express that he never let his physical limitations stop him from working for his students and school. Andhra Pradesh-based Rao was solely responsible for providing school infrastructure worth Rs. 20 lakhs. The money helped build toilets, additional classrooms, a compound wall, a drinking water facility, etc.
As he was on wheel-chair, the president, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other dignitaries came down from the dais to honour him.
Describing teachers who "build the future of the nation," Murmu said that quality education is considered the fundamental right of every child and the role of teachers is the most important in achieving these goals. She added that the importance of teachers as nation-builders has also been clearly stated in the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
Rao said he is feeling lucky to have received the top national award from the president. “I feel lucky today. In my journey, I have received the support of authorities, students, teachers and the community which enabled me to work to tackle various problems, including the problem of dropouts.”
Using theatre to motivate high school students, Narayan Parameshwar Bhagwat, 55, from Karnataka, said he feels "very happy" that he was chosen for the top national awards for teachers.
“I used theatre to teach children from science to literature to social science. Not only does this create an interest in them towards learning, but it also helps them to concentrate and motivate them further. I feel proud that all my students did well in their board exams,” said Bhagwat, who teaches students from class 8 to 10, specialising in children’s theatre.
A Kannada teacher at Shri Marikamba Government PUC High School, Sirsi, proudly said he teaches in a school that houses 1529 students - the highest number of students in Karnataka. Believing that teaching should be fun, he has taught students in the evening and has also, to his credit, several dramas that he has directed.
A primary school teacher, Murahara Rao Uma Gandhi from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, is also a yoga practitioner. She teaches yoga and meditation free of cost with a focus on underprivileged people. “I am feeling proud of receiving the award.” She has curated teaching modules and written several poems for students.
"I have translated four books from English to Telugu, with the help of an online website FROOTS," said Gandhi. She has also organised online sessions during the summer vacation to narrate stories and rhymes and to conduct various other activities.
