In memory of her son, she returns with sweet tributes
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:06.09.2019
Teachers’ day celebrations in educational institutions are usually marked by special programmes organised by students to cherish contribution of teachers in making their lives better and gifts with messages of gratitude.
On most occasions, alumni of the school or academicians are invited are chief guests. But this institution in Chennai has a very different way of celebrating September 5 and they have a unique guest speaker, a daily wage labourer from Kilpauk.
Chandra, no way connected to teaching, has been the guest speaker at this government-run teacher training institute for the past 12 years. A widow, her only connect to the said District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) near Lady Wellington College is her son Saravanan.
Saravanan, who studied in the same college from 2004 to 2006, committed suicide due to personal reasons. He would often ask her to prepare sweets for all his friends on teachers’ day, said Chandra. “This was the last thing I remember him asking me,” she said. Since his demise, Chandra makes it a point to arrive at the premises every September 5 and distribute sweets among students studying there in her son’s memory.
After distributing sweets, she speaks to teaching aspirants about suicide prevention and motivates them to achieve the dream of teaching young kids which her son couldn’t do. Hearing this, students on Thursday broke into tears and later thanked her for all her efforts, said V Usharani, principal of DIET.
Chandra with aspiring teachers at DIET, Chennai on Thursday
Ram.Sundaram@timesgroup.com
Chennai:06.09.2019
Teachers’ day celebrations in educational institutions are usually marked by special programmes organised by students to cherish contribution of teachers in making their lives better and gifts with messages of gratitude.
On most occasions, alumni of the school or academicians are invited are chief guests. But this institution in Chennai has a very different way of celebrating September 5 and they have a unique guest speaker, a daily wage labourer from Kilpauk.
Chandra, no way connected to teaching, has been the guest speaker at this government-run teacher training institute for the past 12 years. A widow, her only connect to the said District Institute for Education and Training (DIET) near Lady Wellington College is her son Saravanan.
Saravanan, who studied in the same college from 2004 to 2006, committed suicide due to personal reasons. He would often ask her to prepare sweets for all his friends on teachers’ day, said Chandra. “This was the last thing I remember him asking me,” she said. Since his demise, Chandra makes it a point to arrive at the premises every September 5 and distribute sweets among students studying there in her son’s memory.
After distributing sweets, she speaks to teaching aspirants about suicide prevention and motivates them to achieve the dream of teaching young kids which her son couldn’t do. Hearing this, students on Thursday broke into tears and later thanked her for all her efforts, said V Usharani, principal of DIET.
Chandra with aspiring teachers at DIET, Chennai on Thursday
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