Teachers play a vital role in the development of a nation as they lay the basis of the individual and national character, speakers and educationists said during a seminar held to commemorate World Teachers’ Day at the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) on Wednesday. LCWU Vice-Chancellor Sabiha Mansoor, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Ghazala Saad Rafique, Justice (r) Dr Nasira Javed Iqbal, SMEDA and WBIC Project Manager Mehmoona Sattar, UET’s Ali Sajid and LCWU Mass Communication Department Incharge Dr Anjum Zia paid tribute to teachers’ contributions about the roles and responsibilities of a teacher in creating awareness, and helping in a nation’s development.
Sabiha said the teaching profession should not be taken merely as a vocation, but also as a missionary undertaking, because teachers were responsible for the future generation and the fate of the nation. The LCWU management had planned different programmes to enhance the abilities of faculty members, she said, adding that they believed in providing a prestigious working environment to teachers.
Ghazala said teachers were responsible for character building. “The responsibility of today’s teacher has not only increased, rather it has now doubled, yet today’s teachers do not receive the respect they are entitled to,” she said.
Justice (r) Nasira Javed Iqbal stressed the value of teaching and the importance of teachers in society. “We must value teachers, as we are the reflection of our teachers,” she said. Quoting Allama Iqbal she said, “Whatever I am today its because of my mother who was my first teacher”. Iqbal was firstly a teacher, then a poet and then a philosopher, she said. Anjum said educated women could improve the quality of society in several ways. “The family is the first institution where a child learns, principally from his mother. However, in our society most mothers are incapable of bringing up their children in a good manner because of rampant illiteracy, poor health and lack of recognition of their social and legal rights. Sajid shared his personal experiences regarding the respect given to teachers in the west and said teaching and sharing were interconnected because “whenever you share, you gain,” he said.
Mehmoona talked about her growing years and how a single sentence by one of her teachers was responsible for her success today. She also laid stress on the necessity of expressing our gratitude and appreciation for these nation builders. LCWU Education Department organised a workshop to mark the occasion. Students celebrated green-ribbon day to honour their teachers. Education Department Chairperson Uzma Qureshi highlighted the role of teachers in the 21st Century. Training workshops would be held regularly to prepare teachers for the changing world, she added.
