It is said that the quality of a nation depends on the quality of its citizens, the quality of its citizens depends on their education, and the quality of education in turn depends on their teachers. Throughout history, teachers have been regarded as the noblest and the most responsible in society, due to their major role in shaping human minds and imparting knowledge to generations for the welfare of mankind and the prosperity of the nation.
Teachers play a crucial role in achieving the SDGs among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the 195 members of United Nations. SDG-4 aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Being a teacher provides unique opportunity to make a transformative and lasting impact on lives of others. Contributing to shaping sustainable features and offering personal fulfillment. To support this statement, Sathya Sai Baba said ‘teachers are reservoirs from which, through education, students draw water of life.”
The importance of a teacher cannot be overstated. They are not just individuals who impart knowledge, they are mentors, guides and role models who inspire and nurture leaders, thinkers and innovators of tomorrow. Teachers empower their students to dream, and this impact resonate throughout their lives. As Henry Adams states: teachers affect eternity. No one can determine where the influence of the teacher stops on one child at a time.
One thing that differentiates TOSF teachers from others is that, they don’t just aim at imparting knowledge but inculcate ethics and values in their learners to be truthful, non-violent, have a right conduct, be peaceful and love and share unconditionally with each other.
These values and ethics that are being inculcated has created a strong bond between the teachers and the learners. Learners do not just regard their teachers as facilitators of knowledge but as their pillars of strength. We all know that one of the roles of a teacher is to be a substitute-parent. Values Based Teachers live this role in reality not where your figure is a representation of a parent but you are there to play a role of a real parent where students confide in you with issues that affect them at home, including critical decision making situations since most of them have lost their parents whom they can pour out their heart.
Serving the Orphans and Vulnerable children requires one to have a sincere heart of compassion which is coupled with passion and not solely based on a salary. This because money cannot make a man yet man can make money. Money is needed for our upkeep and to realize our dreams. Hence, the sincerity of a VBT (Values Based Teacher) lies in transforming that which is not visible but that which will be of value to oneself and to others. This is the reason our vision at TOSF is Realizing The Potential of The Underprivileged To be a Generative Force for the future. This vision can only be attained through the cooperation of VBTs who really understand the goals and ready to work towards this vision. Moreover we are glad that our Directors who also values based support this cause.
