“Mother-is-the-first-Guru” theme resonates at Navkis orientation programme

Hassan: Education at home is as important as the role of schools in moulding students, Principal of Navkis Engineering College Dr Venugopal Rao has said.  

“Home is the first school.  Mother is the first teacher.  First, the child starts getting an education from home.  The mother becomes the first teacher.  At home, the child learns how to walk, run, talk with family and other fundamental life skills.  Then, it takes its tiny step towards the house called ‘School’,” he observed in his inaugural address at the orientation programme for first-year students in Hassan on Monday.

He said only reading and writing was not an education.  “The education a student receives should meet all his needs.  Likewise, parents should cooperate with the school as well for child welfare,” he added.

Dr. Rao also said that because the relationship between teachers and parents is imperative, students need the cooperation of parents to make progress in life.

“In today’s society, students are under pressure to go beyond just marks.  Sadly, there are students with the blind belief that marks are more important than anything else. But education has to be holistic, starting from home,” he said.

“A truly wise person is one who uses the education he has received at the right time and in the right way,” he said, adding, “Our goal should be education with skills to face problems in daily life”.

“Values ​​like discipline, self-reliance, self-confidence, determination, goal-setting, forward-thinking, respect for elders and positive thinking are inculcated in children by parents and our college faculty.  Children follow it naturally.  Let us as elders and parents, be a beacon of light for the future of children with a good attitude.  Only then, we can bring up our children in a positive way,” he said. 

He felt a healthy society could be built only through this approach.