Monday, September 5 2005 19:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Ever a teacher, President A P J Abdul Kalam today (Sept 5, 2005) administered a ten-point oath to the teaching community on Teachers' Day that they will love teaching and ensure children blossom into creative enlightened citizens.

Kalam administered the oath on the occasion of the birth anniversary of S Radhakrishnan when he presented the National Award to Teachers for 2004. Repeating the "ten commandments" after him, the teachers said in the oath "first and foremost, I will love teaching. Teaching will be my soul".

Making the teachers realise that they were responsible for shaping not just students but ignited youth, who were the most powerful resource, he said "I will be fully committed to the great mission of teaching.

"I will consider myself to be a great teacher only when I am capable of elevating the average student to a high performance. I will organise and conduct my life, in such a way that my life itself is a message for my students", he said as teachers repeated the pledge.

The teachers took a vow that they would encourage the students and children to ask questions and develop the spirit of enquiry, so that they blossom into creative enlightened citizens.

"I will treat all the students equally and will not support any differentiation on account of religion, community or language". Pledging to continuously build capacities in teaching for imparting quality education to students, the teachers were made to realise that they were making an important contribution to the efforts of national development.

"I will constantly endeavour to fill my mind with great thoughts and spread nobility in thinking and action among my students. I will always celebrate the success of my students", the oath paper added.

Sharing his feelings with the teaching community, Kalam said "I belong to your profession". Happiness in a teacher's family would result in happy education to children, he added.