- By Dr Sadhana Kala
- Sat, 05 Sep 2026 02:35 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Teachers’ Day honours the educators who help shape young minds and, in doing so, influence the future of society. This year, the day is especially significant as education enters an era of rapid technological transformation, with artificial intelligence, digital learning, and personalised education changing how students acquire knowledge.
Yet, even as technology becomes an increasingly important part of the classroom, one thing remains unchanged: the importance of a teacher who inspires, guides, and believes in a student.
Why is Teachers’ Day celebrated on September 5?
Teachers’ Day in India is observed on September 5, the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
A distinguished scholar and philosopher, Radhakrishnan served as India's first vice president and second president. His academic career and writings reflected a deep commitment to education and intellectual inquiry.
The story associated with Teachers’ Day is particularly memorable. When his students and admirers wanted to celebrate his birthday, Radhakrishnan is traditionally said to have suggested that the occasion instead be observed as a day dedicated to teachers.
The idea transformed a personal celebration into a national tribute to educators.
Evolving Nature of the Classroom
The classroom of 2026 is very different from the classroom of previous generations.
Students today have access to online courses, educational videos, digital libraries, interactive learning platforms, and artificial intelligence tools. Information that once required hours of research can now be found within seconds.
Does this abundance of information make teachers less important?
Quite the opposite.
When information is abundant, the ability to evaluate it becomes more important. Students need guidance to distinguish reliable information from misinformation, understand context, ask meaningful questions, and develop independent judgment.
This role is where teachers remain indispensable.
AI may be able to provide an answer, but a teacher can ask whether the answer is correct, relevant, and ethically sound. A machine can explain a concept, but a teacher can recognise when a student is struggling to understand it.
Teachers’ Day in India is observed on September 5, the birth anniversary of Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (Image:Magnific)
The human side of education
Education is not simply about transferring information from one person to another.
A teacher can notice when a normally enthusiastic student becomes withdrawn. They can recognise a student's hidden talent, encourage someone after failure, or challenge a child who is capable of achieving more.
These interactions can have an impact that extends far beyond examinations.
Students often remember teachers not because of the exact lessons they taught, but because of how those teachers made them feel—confident, valued, challenged, or inspired.
That emotional and human dimension is difficult to replicate through technology.
From memorising answers to asking questions
One of the most important changes in modern education is the growing emphasis on critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving.
The teacher's role is increasingly about encouraging students to ask questions rather than memorize answers.
Why does a scientific phenomenon occur?
Could history have taken a different path?
How can a mathematical problem be approached differently?
What happens when an accepted idea is challenged?
Such questions turn education into exploration.
A competent teacher does not merely fill a student's mind with information. They ignite curiosity.
Teachers are lifelong learners too
Teachers are also navigating a rapidly changing world.
New technologies, changing educational approaches, and evolving expectations mean educators themselves must continually learn and adapt.
The emergence of AI is one example. Teachers are increasingly required to understand how these tools work, where they can assist learning and where human judgment remains essential.
The future may therefore belong to a model in which teachers and technology work together.
AI can assist with personalised practice, research, and administrative tasks, while teachers focus on mentorship, creativity, discussion, emotional intelligence, and critical thinking.
Beyond marks and examinations
Academic performance is important, but education has always been about more than marks.
Teachers help students develop discipline, empathy, confidence, communication skills, and resilience. They teach young people how to cooperate with others, respond to setbacks, and take responsibility for their decisions.
These lessons may not appear on a report card, but they can determine how successfully a person navigates adult life.
A teacher who encourages a student to participate in a debate may be helping the student develop communication skills. A teacher who helps a child recover from failure may be teaching resilience. A teacher who promotes teamwork may be preparing students for the workplace and society.
Many people remember the teachers who changed their lives.
Ask people about their school days, and many will remember a particular teacher.
Perhaps it was the mathematics teacher who made numbers intriguing. The English teacher who encouraged a love of books. The science teacher who inspired a future researcher. Or perhaps it was the teacher who provided encouragement during a challenging time.
The most powerful influence of a teacher may not be visible immediately.
A student may take years to realise how much a teacher's advice mattered.
Teachers plant seeds. Their students carry those ideas into universities, workplaces, families, and communities.
And occasionally, those students become teachers themselves, continuing the cycle.
Celebrating Teachers’ Day 2026
Teachers’ Day is often marked with cards, flowers, cultural programs, speeches, and messages of gratitude. These traditions are meaningful, but the day's deeper purpose is to recognise the contributions educators make every day.
In 2026, that recognition takes on a new dimension.
As artificial intelligence transforms education and technology changes how knowledge is accessed, teachers remind us that education is ultimately about people.
Machines can process information. Teachers cultivate wisdom.
Digital platforms can deliver lessons. Teachers inspire curiosity.
AI can generate answers. Teachers encourage students to ask better questions.
The future of education will undoubtedly be technological, but it must remain human.
This Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to express gratitude to every educator who has guided a student in discovering their talents, conquering their fears, learning from failures, or expanding their dreams.
Because behind countless achievements is a teacher whose influence may never appear in the headlines—but whose lesson continues to live on.
Happy Teachers’ Day to the educators who don't just teach subjects but help shape lives.
ALSO READ: Teachers’ Day 2026: Check 5 Engaging Classroom Activities and Games for Students On September 5
(Note: Dr (Prof) Sadhana Kala is a USA-trained robotic & laparoscopic surgeon, Uppsala University, Sweden, trained fertility specialist, Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of North India, and National Icon Endoscopic Surgeon of India. She is rated as India's Best Gynecologist by Google.)
(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.)