National Education Day: 7 inspirational quotes from women educators that will inspire you to work for change

On National Education Day, presenting some inspirational quotes from great Indian educators/teachers who have been instruments of change.

Monday November 11, 2019 , 3 min Read

Teachers and educators play a significant role in our lives. It’s rightly said that after our mothers, they are instrumental in shaping our lives - not only with the subjects they teach but the wisdom they impart.

National Education Day is observed on November 11 every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, who served from 1947 until 1958.

On this day, we pay tribute to some great Indian educators/teachers who dedicated their lives to shaping millions of young people to become instruments of change.

Here are some quotes that will inspire you to dream big.

A pioneering woman educator – Savitribai Phule

“Sit idle no more. Go get education.”

Showing the under-privileged the right way – Vimla Kaul

“I do not think age has anything to do with an individual’s passion. On the contrary, the desire to achieve increases as one can see that very little time is in hand to achieve one’s target. So, the passion becomes acuter.”

The oldest woman to practise and teach Kalaripayattu - Meenakshi Gurukkal

“Doing what is good for you is often a challenging task for women. But, since Kalari here was a family thing, I had full support from my family and the people in the locality to practise more. Luckily, today, there isn’t any discrimination to that extent.”

The world’s youngest principal of a school – Bharti Kumari

“How will we get educated if we are scared?”

Using stories to change the lives of slum-dwellers - Geetha Dharmarajan

“Stories don’t lead to results. They lead to questions. Stories help children ask the question—why? These make children curious and critical thinkers. This thinking leads to the changes we see on ground.”

She walks, treks, and rows her way to school – Usha Kumari

“My life as a teacher, though fulfilling, is one that comes with many risks because of my journey. I get nothing else apart from the salary. Sometimes, I put in my own money into the running of the school. They are my children and it’s my duty to care for their wellbeing. The entire settlement has so much of love and affection for me.”

Putting 1.2 lakh rural daughters into school - Safeena Hussain of Educate Girls

"Our patriarchal societies, especially the communities we work with, do not really appreciate their mindsets being questioned. And there I was going home to home, investigating about their girls and talking about their right to have an education! I remember having countless doors slammed in my face and the mistreatments hurled at me and my team. They would call us mad dogs!”

(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)