Improve quality of education: President on Teachers Day

New Delhi, Sep 5 (IANS) Honouring meritorious teachers with the national award on Teachers Day, President Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday said it is important to improve the quality of education in the country.

"To build the India of our dreams, the first and foremost task before us is to improve the quality of education," Mukherjee said in his speech at a function in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The day is celebrated every year on Sep 5, marking the birthday of India's first vice president and second president, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.

"In a nation whose demography is young - both in age and spirit - teachers have the responsibility of providing education which is rich in values and modern in content," Mukherjee added.

Teachers from across the country, Union Minister for Human Resource Development (HRD) Kapil Sibal and Ministers of State for HRD E. Ahamed and D. Purandeswari were also present at the function.

The president, a former teacher, stressed on the changing boundaries of classroom education and the need for practical learning tools.

"As teachers, we all know that educational activities and learning processes are no longer confined to a classroom-based curriculum. It is necessary to design appropriate learning experiences for the students," Mukherjee said.

"New methods and teaching aids must equip the younger generations to learn more, explore more and contribute more to society," he added.