Vishü Rita Krocha
Kohima | September 4
Teachers touch millions of lives as they impart knowledge and skill, inspire dreams and confidence, advocate and mentor students, enriching their lives and helping them become contributing members of the society. Every year, September 5 is observed as Teachers’ Day to celebrate these unique roles they play in shaping young minds across India.
Despite the fact that teaching entails great sacrifice and demands all your free time- family or personal, the passion-driven teachers continue to spark inspiration, building the future of the society, student by student, class by class and batch by batch.
Meyase is an Assistant Professor at Kohima Science College, Jotsoma and has been teaching Mathematics for the last 9 years. It may not be the most lucrative job, but in his words, “if you are among the fortunate ones who find themselves loving what they teach and who they teach, then it’s amazing. There is nothing like seeing smiles on the faces of students, always expressing gratitude to us however underserved.”
For Vechisa Venuh, who is currently serving as the Vice Principal of District Institute for Education and Training (DIET), Chiechama, his heart lies in education. He is on the verge of retirement having served for 34 years- 22 at DIET and 13 at a government primary school in his native village at Phek Basa. “I may not be contributing enough to the society but I believe I am doing something for the people by building them”, he says.
One of his greatest concerns however is the poor performance of government schools, which, he says is also largely because of the many appointed qualified teachers who keep substitutes in their places of posting. This is something he wants to change in the system of education and having found a complete sense of fulfillment in the teaching profession, he plans to go back to his village after retirement and continue in his vocation by working with his people and advocating the importance of quality education.
Very rarely do you come across teachers who have dedicated themselves to teaching in a private school for all their lives. Zeneikienuo Zita Rutsa belongs to this rare breed, defying odds and continuing to teach young students in the primary section. She joined Christ King Higher Secondary School, Kohima in the year 1981 and has never looked back since.
She teaches English and Tenyidie from classes 1 to 5- something she has been doing for 37 fulfilling years and is not planning to give up yet. Her greatest joy clearly lies in teaching children even as she confesses that, “I got really bored working in a government office for a couple of months. There was no sound of children, it was too quiet and there was no joy.”
Prior to joining the private school, she was working in the government sector for a very short while, and if she wanted, she could have landed herself a better opportunity. But she stuck to teaching in the primary section in a primary school for all these years. “I may not hold the most sought after job, but this is where I am happiest”, she exudes with contentment. Having taught thousands of students in the last few decades, she says that, “whenever I hear of my students doing well in life, I am always filled with a sense of pride.”
Teaching primary students is not easy- it’s a huge challenge in the classroom, she shares, but she wouldn’t have it any other way. Everybody has had a special teacher who has made a lasting impact in the lives of students and Zeneikienuo Zita Rutsa is definitely one of them.
