On the occasion of Teachers’ Day, the Education Department of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi organized the Corporation Teachers’ Honor Ceremony 2024 at the Civic Center on Thursday. Here, former Education Minister Manish Sisodia said that the salary of teachers in our country should be more than that of an IAS or Cabinet Secretary. If we have to make the dream of developed India come true in 2047, then this step will prove to be a milestone in this direction. Apart from this, Sisodia, citing the example of America, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland, said that in these countries the salary of teachers is more than even the biggest bureaucrat there. Therefore, we will have to take revolutionary steps in the field of education to build a developed India.
During this, Manish Sisodia, while sharing his jail experience, said that when I faced difficult situations in my life recently, I used it as an opportunity. I did not get a chance to study in my political life, but when I got time to study, I accepted it as a challenge and I studied for 8-10 hours daily for one and a half years. In this too, I read the most about the ancient and current education system of the world and India, where does the world stand today? If we teach history, we teach the perspectives of the leaders. We teach who implemented which policy, which movement took place, etc. I think teachers need to look at history from the perspective of education as well, only then will we be able to move forward and do something to take the country forward.
The foundation of education has to be laid keeping 2047 in mind
Manish Sisodia said that nowadays there is a lot of talk about India of 2047. When I was in the Delhi government, I presented the budget many times and also said there that we are laying the foundation of 2047, I used to talk to teachers. The children who are with our primary teachers are very important for 2047. The age of these children is between 3 to 10 years. By 2047, the age of the children will be around 30 years. The foundation of what India of 2047 will be like is in the hands of our primary teachers today.
Today our primary school teachers are laying the foundation of India of 2047. How are we able to educate children in such difficult circumstances, where family acceptance and thinking towards education also makes a lot of difference. The child of 30-25 years of age in India of 2047, who is in school today, the way those children are being prepared, the India of 2047 will be like that. The India of 2047 is not being built by any leader or officer, but by the teachers, we all are just collaborators in this.
Teachers’ salary should be higher than bureaucrats
Manish Sisodia said that I had said this many times in the education department of Delhi that the teacher’s job is to take off the vehicle of children’s life, our teachers are its pilots. Therefore, make the vehicle of children’s life take off properly, so that India can land properly in 2047. The developed countries towards which we look with great hope, have teachers at their root, education is at their core. I am not advocating the education policy of any country, but we can take it as an example that how we will have to look at the history of education in the world. The world is talking about America in terms of development. America had achieved the goal of sending all girls to school in 1890. We made the education law in 1911, in Japan the Right to Education Act was implemented in 1903.
Manish Sisodia said that 40-50 years ago, Singapore was a very backward country, it had gained independence from Malaysia. Its Prime Minister had cried in the first TV interview. He had said that we do not have food, mines, land for farming, what will we do. At that time, the Prime Minister of Singapore took a pledge that we will educate everyone and he did so. He made a rule that graduate women will be given many types of incentives on becoming mothers. After this, all the girls started graduating. The children born to educated graduate parents gave birth to a new Singapore. I am not saying that this was the only factor in the progress of Singapore, but the countries which we see as progressive and think about educating our children there, teachers are the foundation of all those countries.
In developed countries, teachers get more salary than officers
Manish Sisodia said that one of the special things about developed countries around the world is that the salary of teachers there is more than that of any officer. If we look at the Indian context, in developed countries, the salary of teachers is more than that of IAS officers. A five-year old teacher is getting more salary than a five-year old IAS officer. Such arrangements exist in many countries. If we talk about India of 2047, then this should come up in the country’s discussions. The policy maker will have to make policies according to today’s needs.
Just like this, India will not be able to become developed in 2047. To make India developed in 2047, we will also have to take progressive steps. In Germany, the average annual salary of a teacher is Rs 72 lakh and the salary of the top bureaucrat there is Rs 71 lakh. In Switzerland, the salary of a teacher is Rs 71 lakh and the salary of the top bureaucrat is Rs 64 lakh. These countries are also progressing because they are investing in their teachers. In America, the average annual salary of a teacher is Rs 46-60 lakh and in India it is only Rs 12-15 lakh.
A teacher’s salary should be higher than that of an IAS
Manish Sisodia said that as an Indian, I want to say that if we have to lay the foundation of a developed India of 2047 and expect teachers to build the India of 2047 from their classrooms, then we will have to decide that in our country too, the salary of teachers should be the highest of any officer. An IAS becomes a DM, a DM will become an IAS, but the salary of a teacher should be higher than that of an IAS of five years.
In our country, an IAS officer becomes a secretary or cabinet secretary in 30-35 years. Today India needs to change its education policy. I read a lot of books on education and I did not find anywhere that any country has given the concept that Guru Govind dono khade, kake lagu paay, balihari guru aapno, jin Govind diyo milaye. Such a concept does not exist in any other country, it exists only in India. Therefore, this message should go to the world from India that we do not just say, but we also do and this should also be reflected in the salary of teachers. The salary of teachers in our country should be the highest.
The country needs a new education policy- Manish Sisodia
Manish Sisodia, while explaining the benefits of teachers having the highest salary, said that the most attractive profession is IAS, because along with power, the salary is also high. Today our children should have the satisfaction that if we are choosing the profession of a teacher, then our salary is high. Then they will become a good teacher by putting their body and mind and will make the country stand strong. The country needs such a policy. Now the time has come to make such a policy and this policy can be made. I believe that without giving such respect to teachers, which is displayed in our traditions, it should also be displayed in the valence sheet that we are the country where the salary of teachers is the highest compared to any employee. In such a situation, no one can stop India from developing. It will not happen just by this, but till such things do not happen, India will not be able to become a developed country.
Studied for 8 to 9 hours while in jail
Manish Sisodia said that I was in difficult circumstances of my life for the last one and a half years. I used to sleep on a newspaper at Jantar Mantar, so I never found these days difficult. There were some obstacles in what I was doing. I am mentioning this because when we are in a good position, doing everything well and everything is going well with us, then what you have been taught is useful, but when you are in difficult circumstances, then what you have been taught is more useful. Our teachers are dealing with a particular social class as well as a particular age group. The mathematics taught by the intermediate teacher may or may not have been useful to me, but what was taught by the primary teacher will be useful to me throughout my life in every situation. That is why the status of primary teachers becomes more important.
Source (PTI) (NDTV) (HINDUSTANTIMES)