National Education Day

Changing Course, Transforming Education

Nations and societies must provide opportunities for the citizens to learn and get educated to realise their dream. There is a need for improving the educational system must be improved and made more contemporary. It is a fundamental right for citizens to have free and compulsory education for all children. The fact that we must reiterate the need only reflects there are many countries still struggling to provide the same. India celebrates November 11 as “National Education Day” to celebrate the birth anniversary of Maulana Azad, India’s first education minister. An occasion to recall the immense contributions Azad made to developing the nation’s education system. Azad emphasised the need for girls’ education. His tenure as education minister has led to the creation of several institutes, UGC, Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT Kharagpur etc. His contributions also have been to building institutions like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Sahitya Academy etc., emphasising cultural development.

While remembering the contributions of Maulana Azad, it is also time to reiterate the need to step up our efforts in providing quality education and nurturing collaborations nationally and internationally. Azad had an outstanding educational career. Interestingly Azad was home-schooled and self-taught. In addition to being fluent in Arabic, he mastered several languages, including Bengali, Hindustani, Persian, and English. Goal four of the UN Sustainable Development Goals aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. India is moving forward in this direction with an emphasis on implementing the New Education Policy 2020.

Without inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong opportunities for all, countries will not succeed in breaking the cycle of poverty that is leaving millions of children, youth, and adults behind. We will not succeed in mitigating climate change and adapting to the technological revolution, let alone achieve gender equality, without an ambitious political commitment to universal education.
Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director-General

Mahatma Gandhi said, “Learn as if you were to live forever.” Nations and societies must provide opportunities for the citizens to learn and get educated to realise their dream. Education is crucial in shaping the progress of a country’s future generations. There is also the need for improving the educational system must be improved and made more contemporary. It is a fundamental right for citizens to have free and compulsory education for all children. The fact that we must reiterate the need only reflects there are many countries still struggling to provide the same. There are still many struggles for children out there to get primary education. It is estimated that about 250 million children still do not attend school. UN records indicate that several million children cannot read and do basic math. India has progressed well in the direction of making primary education compulsory.

It is an occasion to recall the immense contributions Azad made to developing the nation’s education system. India celebrates November 11 as “National Education Day” to celebrate the birth anniversary of Maulana Azad, India’s first education minister. Maulana Azad said while addressing a conference on education way back in 1048, “We must not for a moment forget, it is a birthright of every individual to receive at least the basic education without which he cannot fully discharge his duties as a citizen”. Azad emphasised the need for girls’ education. His tenure as education minister has led to the creation of several institutes, UGC, Jamia Millia Islamia, IIT Kharagpur etc. His contributions also have been to building institutions like the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Sahitya Academy etc., emphasising cultural development.

Azad was born on November 11 1888, in Mecca (Saudi Arabia). Wikipedia details his full name (Sayyid Ghulam Muhiyuddin Ahmed bin Khairuddin Al Hussaini), popularly known as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. Interestingly Azad was home-schooled and self-taught. In addition to being fluent in Arabic, he mastered several languages, including Bengali, Hindustani, Persian, and English. Azad had an outstanding educational career. He became the first Minister of Education of Independent India, gained Independence and served until 1958. He passed away on February 22, 1958. Maulana Azad was posthumously awarded Bharat Ratna in 1992.

Goal four of the UN Sustainable Development Goals aims to “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all” by 2030. While remembering the contributions of Maulana Azad, it is also time to reiterate the need to step up our efforts in providing quality education and nurturing collaborations nationally and internationally. India is moving forward in this direction with an emphasis on implementing the New Education Policy 2020.

Educationists should be able to build creative spaces for inquiry, morality, and leadership for students and become role models for them to follow

Maulana Abul Kalam Azad