Matha Pitha Guru and God ... this is what we have been taught since childhood, however today’s generation says matha pitha google and god!! I’m only glad God remained constant and parents have become compulsion! What I question is the teacher factor hasn’t been playing a huge role or hasn’t the teacher played as a role model? Well that’s unanswered now and hopefully not for a future.
The Sanskrit word guru from gu (darkness), and ru (light) is someone who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom and authority, and use it to guide and mentor. Literally a mentor who shows others knowledge (light) and destroys ignorance (darkness).
Educators are you mentors or mediators?
Today’s world demands mentors to groom children and help them choose their paths carefully. Any child’s first hero is the dad and then it should be a teacher, ideally!! After a certain age students in high school or in college seek mentors to guide and shape them; and trust me that relationship is the most compassionate one for life long. A mentor is someone who reaches out to understand and comprehend the students struggles and still be there to shoulder selflessly. A guiding light throughout their lives!
Are we missing mentors in today’s educators ? Is it that they are being mediators between the created syllabus and students. The concept of completing target lessons , challenge with the electronic gadgets because you are left with less choice. Today’s teachers go through targets, classrooms are war fields, promotions play an important role, pass percentage is primary, stressful hours of standing, harmful conversations in the staff room, comparison student scores, nepotism hasn’t spared education either!!
At an early age of 29, a genius in mathematics who could not afford to study at the Harvard, MIT because of his father's death and his financial condition, in spite of seeking sponsorship. Yes, I am talking about Anand Kumar the Indian mathematician known for his super 30! In 1992 Anand Kumar began living his dream by renting a room for a Rs 500 and started the Ramanujan school of mathematics for the underprivileged children in preparing them for the most competent entrance exams. Between 2003-2017 he mentored 450 students out of which 391 passed out of IIT’s! also between 2008-2010 was his super 30 hatrick , all the 30 students cleared the IIT JEE in a row of three years.
Anand Kumar runs the institution with the tuition fee that he earns and the institute is not aided by the government sectors or any private agencies. Since 2002, in the month of May , the Ramanujan School of Mathematics has been conducting competitive tests to select 30 students for the Super 30 program. Although many students appear for the test, he selects 30 exceptional students from economically backward sections, mentors them for the most competitive JEE. After the success of Super 30 and its growing popularity, he received offers from private sectors both national and international for financial aid, but he refused it; Anand Kumar wants to sustain the Super 30 through his own efforts.
Are we missing this warmth, cohesion, passion and commitment and hence the mentors are gone astray? It is about time to change the perspective, about time to build confidence, about time to hold the experience high, about time to extend arms, about time to mend and mentor.
There are many more untold Anand Kumar’s, is there one in you ?!!
