Dear children,
We are living in the world where people are struggling to get oxygen to breathe due to covid-19. Many people across the globe are fighting with the pandemic. No one had ever dreamt about the sudden change of the world within a year. Millions of people across the globe lost their lives and jobs. Lakhs of people have become homeless and are struggling to get even square meal per day. Most of them are highly qualified and they were leading luxurious life before the pandemic. Now all of a sudden they have become jobless.
Irrespective of economic status, people want to provide quality education for their children which is the only thing in the world that no one can steal. In such case, what is the quality education?
According to me, quality teachers are the main source of institution rather than the building. Sometimes this question commonly arises in many people’s mind that- ‘What is the use of education? when it cannot provide the livelihood for me and my family. Why should we go to school and college for more than two decades?’ Why most of the parents are struggling to get admission in some prestigious Public Schools for their wards. The answer is very simple. Any investment made in the form of education is an asset. To get a quality education, parents should spend more money on their kids education. In this context, our institution is providing quality and holistic education.
His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji, the 24th Pontiff Suttur Math and also the President of JSS Mahavidyapeetha, Mysuru is a great inspiration for all of us and guiding force of this mammoth institution. I feel proud to say that I am also one such alumnus of this institution. My humble pranam goes to His Holiness Jagadguru Dr. Shivarathri Rajendra Mahaswamiji for providing me an opportunity to pursue my graduation in JSS College, Mysuru and also providing free hostel seat at Anne Karoti, Mysuru during 1983. Otherwise I would not have achieved what I am today. Millions of poor children like me are getting free and quality education in our institution. Today our institution has spread out its branches from Kindergarten to Doctorate in all segments.
My article will become incomplete if I do not mention the opportunity provided by His Holiness Jagadguru Sri Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Mahaswamiji to me in 2003. I was chosen by the management to be the part of delegation to visit Gosforth High School, New CastleUpon Tyne inUK as a part teachers exchange program. It was immemorable days for me. The days I spent with the students and teachers at Gosforth High School are unforgettable. All these are possible only in our institution, under the leadership and guiding force of our beloved Swamiji.
My dear children, the motto of our institution is ‘work is worship’. Regarding this ,I would like to quote an incident occurred to me when I was in Rothburry village near Northumberland in UK, staying as a guest at my headmaster Mr. Robwalker’s country side house. It was a Sunday. Iwoke up unusually little late. I started looking for Mr. Robwalker’s two sons who were studying in High School, near a town, but I could not find them around.
Out of curiousity I asked Mr Robwalker, “Sir where are your children, not to be seen for quite some time.” The reply I got from Mr Robwalker really surprised me. His answer was like this- “ Mr Guru, every week end ( Saturday and Sunday), my children go to some local restaurant to wash the vessels. In our country, we provide food, clothing and pay school fee for our children but we don’t give any pocket money to them.” So in this by earning while learning, our children get some pocket money.
Mr Robwalker and his wife were working as teachers and earning not less than 8 lakhs ( compared to Indian currency)per month. Giving pocket money was not a big deal for both the parents. This is called the real education and the real way of raising children to make them good citizen of the country. At last but not the least, according to me, true meaning of education is to teach them to become good human beings. Don’t give fish when they are hungry; instead teach them how to catch a fish. Otherwise recently I read a jokein social media, it was written like this – “My parents sent me to Government School. I made my son to study in a Convent”. Later the same son says, “ My parents sent me to a Convent. It made me send my parents to an Old Age Home”. This is what we get in future. So schools and colleges are not factories to produce graduates. They are the temples to teach the values what we carried for generations from our forefathers and shaping the better citizens of our country. I hope you will become better citizens of our country.
Mr.GURUSWAMY .N
PRINCIPAL