Teachers’ Day Reminds Us What It Really Means to Teach

Originally published in The Sunday Guardian on 7 sep '25.

Teachers’ Day should spark gratitude but also reflection on education’s deeper purpose.

This year, just like every year, classrooms across the country paused on September 5th to mark Teachers’ Day. Students prepared tributes, teachers were greeted with gestures of respect, and for a day the focus shifted from lessons to gratitude. It is right that we remember the people who, often quietly and without recognition, carry the responsibility of shaping young lives.

But a day of celebration also calls for reflection. Beyond the ceremonies, what is it that we truly expect from education? And who, in the deepest sense, deserves to be called a teacher? Unless we ask these questions, our thanks remain incomplete.

Why teachers matter

Civilizations rise or fall on the strength of their teachers. A genuine teacher is not just an information-dispenser; she is one who awakens inquiry, nurtures clarity, and shapes character. Nations that gave teaching their highest respect advanced swiftly. Those that neglected it, regardless of wealth or size, decayed. India has no shortage of talent. What it lacks is a system where real teachers can thrive and young minds are free to think.