Gandhinagar: On the occasion of Teacher’s Day, which was observed on Friday, chief minister Bhupendra Patel presented the ‘Best Teacher Award‘ to 30 teachers of the state at a function held in Gandhinagar on Friday. Speaking at the event, the CM said that teachers should instil a sense of indigenousness and nation-first in students. He added that after parents, teachers play a crucial role in shaping lives.

Later in the day, the chief minister felicitated 37 teachers from 19 districts and also held a ‘Prerna Samvad’ with the teachers at the chief minister’s residence in Gandhinagar. An official statement said the teachers had a frank dialogue with the chief minister at the meeting.

The 37 teachers from remote areas of 19 districts, who made significant contributions and did exceptional work in the field of education, aiming to provide children with modern, technology-aligned education, spoke to the CM about their plans and programmes to improve education in govt schools.

The CM stated that vacant teaching positions in schools across the state will be filled promptly. “The govt is always working positively to develop education by turning negativity into positivity, and we should adopt this mantra in education as well,” an official statement quoted the CM as saying.

Highlighting the role of teachers in the holistic development of students, the CM said that teachers should not limit children to just bookish knowledge but also impart practical knowledge. He said the state govt is committed to ensuring that no shortcomings remain in providing all facilities such as modern classrooms, water, electricity, toilets, cleanliness, and transportation in govt schools.

The CM also made a contribution to the Teacher Welfare Fund in recognition of the teachers’ contributions to society. An official statement said that recognising the contributions of teachers in shaping individuals and society, citizens make voluntary contributions to the Teacher Welfare Fund on this day.