It is really an honour for Goa in general and to the teaching community in particular, that Chandralekha Mestri, a teacher at Satyawati Soiru Angle Higher Secondary School, Mashem-Loliem, Canacona has bagged this year’s National Teacher’s Award for 2024. The previous awardees in 2022 were MM Miranda, Principal, Government High School Morpirla, Quepem, and in 2023 AM Parkhe of Disha School for the Special Children. This back-to-back national awards is a moral booster to all the teachers who are nourishing budding minds. The lady awardees travel kilometres every day to reach the schools, some of which are in deplorable conditions and have few students. Yet, theirs’ and their colleagues’ mission is to teach the deprived students who stay in and commute from remote areas. The teachers sacrifice their comfort, family lives and even worked during the pandemic so as motivate and help young minds to grow and seek better opportunities. If our armed forces are protecting our borders, the teachers are safeguarding our children by educating them, weaning them away from bad habits, inoculating discipline and helping them build their future.
