Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday said teachers have the duty and responsibility of inculcating rational thinking in students, moulding them to approach everything by posing questions like, "how and why?"
Addressing a School Education Department's function here, the CM, sharing his thoughts with teachers, said students must be taught about the the need for equality and social justice.
Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin's Statement
"Introduce good role models for the students and you be a role model yourself. Teach them civic sense," he said adding teachers should take care to ensure that casteist and gender discrimination tendencies do not surface in students.
The CM said: "You have the duty and responsibility of inculcating a spirit of reasoning in students; moulding them to approach everything based on rational thinking, by asking questions like why and how." Government school going students have grown into a symbol of pride and the infrastructure and quality of state-run schools have improved, he said.
State-run school students are taken on tour to foreign countries so that they could get a feel of the world outside and improve their knowledge.
The CM outlined the DMK regime's welfare initiatives for students including the CM's Breakfast Scheme for school going children and the Rs 1,000 monthly assistance to men and women pursuing college education.
The chief minister, referring to technology making learning easy than it was decades ago and the availability of huge subject matter-materials in all subjects, said that students should be shown the correct, appropriate content.
Students, considering access to Google web search engine and AI, should not develop complacency by being dependent on such technology based solutions alone.
"They (students) should be made to realise the difference between human thought and technology. You should teach them the strength of dharma and the need for honesty," he said and urged teachers to go beyond the syllabus and educate children on subjects such as alternative energy sources. At the same time, the mental and physical health of students is very important and they should not be pressured.
Citing social media content produced by some teachers on critical thinking and problem solving, Stalin said others may also consider creative solutions to help students.
The school education department event was christened "Mupperum Vizha (three events conducted together)." It was in order to mark an entry-level training programme for teachers and laying of foundation stones for new buildings in 243 schools in districts including Chengelpet, Kallakurichi, Tiruppatur, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, Tiruchirappalli, Coimbatore and Nilgiris.
Also, it was to mark construction of a new Tamil Nadu headquarters on Kamarajar Salai in Chennai for The Bharat Scouts and Guides organisation. Such construction initiatives are being taken up by the government at an estimated cost of Rs 277 crore.
Stalin also inaugurated newly built buildings constructed at a cost of Rs 94 crore in 59 schools in districts including Salem, Sivaganga, Thanjavur, Theni, Tiruvallur, Tiruvarur, Tuticorin, Ariyalur and Chengelpet.
The chief minister also gave away cheques of Rs 10,000 each to 142 students who secured centum in Tamil in their 10th and 12th standard board examinations.
Deputy CM Udhayanidhi stalin, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Ministers KN Nehru, CV Ganesan and Ma Subramanian took part. Chennai Mayor R Priya and top officials participated.
(Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by FPJ's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)
