Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech on Teacher’s Day tomorrow is not just a must-see event but also a question of grades for students in at least one school.
The Bal Bharati School in Noida near Delhi has told its students that they will be tested on the speech, and questions worth two marks will be asked in five papers.
A note from the school’s principal, Asha Prabhakar, says for classes 3 to 12, “key points of the Prime Minister’s address are to be noted and learnt, for the school to evaluate the same.”
Asserting that students must “strictly” comply with the directives, Ms Prabhakar adds in the note, “I sincerely hope the response to the circular is a favourable one with parents and children hooked to the Doordarshan channel on 5 Sep 14.”
The principal told NDTV today that attendance is compulsory as Mr Modi’s speech “will be inspirational for children.”
Reports suggest some other schools may also evaluate students on Mr Modi’s speech, which will be beamed live across the nation.
Schools have rearranged schedules to ensure that children are present between 3 and 4 pm to watch the telecast. For younger children in many schools, it will be a “preparatory holiday” before a working Saturday. The Prime Minister will talk to 1,000 students at the Manekshaw Auditorium in Delhi and will also field questions on video conferencing from children across the country.
A note from the Human Resource Development Ministry instructs schools to ensure discipline during the live telecast and says equipment like projectors, amplifiers and TVs must be hired if schools do not have their own.
Speaking to teachers at a function this morning, Mr Modi said, “Teaching is not a profession. Teaching is not a job. Teaching is a duty. A Teacher never retires.”
