This International Women’s Day, News Today spoke to Valluvar Gurukulam School headmistress Sai Sudha who won Dr Radhakrishnan Best Teacher’s Award for 2017-18, instituted by the State government, and has also been recommended for the Best Educationist Award by the International Business Council, New Delhi.
In her Women’s Day message, Sudha said families should treat their women with respect. “Children learn from their parents and when they see women being respected in the house, it will automatically get etched in their memory and they will follow it life-long,” she said.
It is the duty of the mother to impart social and ethical values in children which will have an impact on their future, she points out.
“Ethics is very important for girl students as well, what they are now only will decide their future,” she said.
The headmistress said the teacher-student bonding is not the same as it was 10 years ago.
“Students these days do not have a strong connect with the teachers and the fault also lies with the teachers. The influence of teachers on students is what makes or breaks society,” she said.
Sudha is into teaching profession for 32 years from 1987. “I am a native of Salem and moved to Tambaram after my marriage. I was then doing BA, completed MPhil and MEd post marriage with the support of my husband,” she said.
About the award she received recently, Sudha said, “The credit should first go to my school correspondent, D K Srinivasan, who trusted me and made me the headmistress. I am trying to use all the experience I got in over 30 years of teaching.”
Sudha strongly believes that students should not confine themselves to just studies. “I make sure that students appearing for the board exams take part in sports and other activities. This will relax their minds and, ultimately, have a positive impact on their studies,” she stresses.
The headmistress said, “I am strict whenever needed, but apart from that I am always approachable. I have regular interactions with the girl students of the school. I get to know their problems and give possible suggestions. At times, I even tell them how to use sanitary pads. I feel that all these are also the job of a teacher. I insist that the teachers be friendly with the students.”
She has placed a suggestion box in which the students can drop letters detailing their problems and grievances which will be addressed at the earliest.
Expressing her view on how the teaching profession has changed over the years, Sudha said, “I must admit that the commitment teachers had in the past is missing now. I was inspired by my B.A teacher Insuvai to take up the profession. I make it a point to wish her every Teachers Day.”
About her plans for the future, the headmistress wants to ensure that the school gets 100 per cent result. “When I joined the school in 2007, there were 425 students, now the number has increased to 1,208. Students join a school not just because of academics but also the extra-curricular activities provided. We have various development programmes including yoga which will help develop a better nation,” she said.