LIGHT OF EDUCATION IS LIGHT OF GOD

I write this article to share my experience with and my observation of a teacher with a view to benefit my brothers and sisters elsewhere. It has been rightly said: A good teacher is more influential than a hundred priests. I could see the reflection, radiation and validation of the adage to a great extent from the life of Mr. K.C.Jose, senior lecturer, Samtse College of Education, Bhutan. In my letter entitled, “ Blessing of Bhutan: A farewell Tribute to Mr. K.C. Jose”
I have expressed how my learning passion was ignited and fuelled by Mr. Jose who joined in Bhutan as a teacher in a Junior high school and blossomed into a lecturer as well as a writer. And now, he plans a teaching stint in Saudi Arabia as an English Language Trainer. Here I am narrating the final event and experience with the teacher at my hometown in West Bengal on 21^st and 22^nd February 2016. By virtue of his generosity and humanity, I was blessed to receive his good will visit prior to his departure for the new place of service. He reached my home driving his Maruti van all the way from Samtse – a matter of more than four hours. He did not neglect or forget to bring me the Bhutanese indigenous cheese balls through which I wanted to relish the loving touch of the Bhutanese hands on my tongue. This sincerity in the small thing reminds me of Mother Teresa’s philosophy: Be faithful in small things because your strength lies in them.   For me, his visit brought me an opportunity to celebrate the king’s birthday and coincidentally Mr. Jose’s too, and to use the Bhutanese resource in the service of my native school.

My request to him for resourcing an English seminar for my teachers was generously granted. My students decorated my room and offered floral tribute to the King on a pedestal. My old father paid a long gaze at the Divine King and the Queen. My ecstasy grew boundless. My students expressed their happiness to be able to be a part of the King’s birthday celebration. Then we wished Mr. Jose also on his birth day.

As planned, the next morning we travelled to my school for the scheduled seminar. The Management members, teachers and the parents gathered in the M.P. Hall for the New Light on the art of teaching. As we were short of time and wanted to extract the best and the most from the resource person in the minimum time, without adequate introduction about Mr. Jose we abruptly plunged him into our aimed learning forum. He made his flavored and artistic presentation for more than two hours igniting all the minds, adding new wings to all and driving them with a new thirst and quest for learning. There were thunders of applause in the midst of his presentation from the audience. All the learners felt illuminated. There were moments when they felt drunk with the intoxication of his teaching and presentation of the poem: STOPPING BY WOODS by Robert Frost. The president of the management shared, “It was beyond my imagination that English could be taught so luxuriantly, lusciously and appetizingly.” Mr. Jose was flooded with laurels by the audience in recognition and appreciation of his achievement and efficiency. They went to the extent of bowing and touching his feet with their hands as a gesture of their obeisance to him. Such a magnificent scene of respect I haven’t seen before.

Now I know why Dr. Radhakrishnan, the great philosopher and educationist, was carried by the students of Madras Presidency College on their shoulders in a palanquin when the great teacher was transferred to Kolkata Presidency College. I know why Lord Anukul Chandra said: “The role of a teacher is far greater than that of a king in respect of an individual.” The management president was so much ignited that the next day he purchased several books in order to be an avid reader and learner.   

MORE COMMENTS OF THE PARTICIPANTS:                                                                                                                   

1.  It is not possible to get such teacher with money.

                                                  - Sonangki Saha, teacher.

2. A mine of gold is hidden in Mr. K.C. Jose.

                    - Sujoy Sharma, a Head teacher

3. Fear of poetry has vanished by the magic power of Mr. K.C.Jose’s teaching of the poem:

     Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost.

                                                                              - Prajna Paramita Sharma, a student, Class VIII.

4. Mr. K.C. Jose’s presence at our school is a big blessing for us.

                                                                               - Priya Roy, a teacher.

5. Mr. K.C. Jose turned our M.P. Hall into heaven of learning by his magnificent teaching

    style……. I was marveled when Parri Dey and Moushumi Saha of Class III offered him some  

    leaves of a plant as a gesture of their love and good will to which he reciprocated with the

    phrase ‘ gift of Nature’ with his sweet and smiling face.

                                                                                                           - Mr. Debashis Debnath, teacher.

6. I want to watch the video record of K.C. Jose sir’s magnetic art of teaching and

    presentation everyday.

                                                                                                           - Jharna Debnath, teacher.

7. I got mesmerized when K.C. Jose sir was demonstrating the teaching of the popular poem:    

    Stopping by Wodds on a Snowy Evening.

                                                                                                           - Tanuja Das, a student, Class XI.