Terming the teachers as role models for the society, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today said they (teachers) have a greater role to play, particularly in present times, in shaping the destiny of their students.Addressing a well attended gathering of teachers after handing over regularisation orders among six hundred Rehbar e Taleem teachers here today, the Chief Minister said teaching profession has been held in high esteem by all religions and societies. She said teachers have an immense influence on the lives of their students, sometimes greater than that of their parents. “In the present times when the working parents have little time for their children, teachers also need to don the role of parents and provide them all the requisite emotional cushion which they are in need of”, the Chief Minister remarked.Regretting that the students of present times have little to rejoice and entertain, Mehbooba Mufti asked the teachers to create avenues of extracurricular activities at schools like varied types of arts, sports, physical activities, picnics etc and let the students explore the universe on their own and move beyond the realms of exams, tests, classes and grades. “Our kids are living in an atmosphere of strain, who have very little to cheer about. It is the teachers who have to steer them out successfully by supervising a complete personality development in them”, she said. The Chief Minister hoped the teachers regularized today would infuse new blood in the working of the Education Department. She said Government is sensitive to the demands and needs of teaching community and their resolution is accordingly prioritized.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also released the latest issue of bi monthly news letter of the Directorate of School Education and curriculum for elementary education.Earlier, in his address, Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari enumerated several steps taken by the Department for the welfare of teaching community and students. He said in a record time of three months, promotion cases of around two thousand teachers and recognition cases of 200 private schools were settled. He said the Department would soon launch pre nursery schools in Kashmir valley for which the necessary curriculum has been devised.Secretary, School Education & Tourism, Farooq Ahmad Shah in his address appealed parents to lend a helping hand to the school administrations in running the academic affairs in schools smoothly.Minister of State for Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash; legislators, Noor Muhammad Sheikh and Khursheed Alam, Director, School Education, Kashmir, Dr. G N Yatoo; officers of all the wings of Education Department, representatives of employees’ unions and private schools and teachers from across the Valley were present in the function.