In a speech to a thousands-strong audience of school teachers and educationalists from the Fars province central Iran, the IR Leader marked May 1, named after teachers in Iran, saying that the Teachers Day has a great content to convey and could be described as day of all the Iranian people in a broad sense.
Ayatollah Khamenei made a distinction between Islam's treatment of teachers' status and that of the west, saying that in Islam's view, education is equal to granting life to individuals and society while in a materialistic approach the teachers are assessed by counting their potentialities to generate money.
The IR Leader bemoaned that the western mindset came to vogue after the western culture penetrated the Iranian community in the course of past two centuries, cutting on the true merits of teachers in the eyes of the public.
Ayatollah Khamenei instructed the relevant authorities to meet the material expectations of the teachers community, adding however that the teachers should be treated according to what Islam orders; paying ultimate homage to them and having immanent respect for them.
Invoking verses from the Holy Koran and words of the Imams, Ayatollah Khamenei said that the ultimate goal of education was to train soul of the mankind and guide the people in the Straight Path which leads to salvation.
"Imam Khomeini as a professional interpreter of Koran considered the job as that of the Divine Messengers," the IR Leader added.
Ayatollah Khamenei also urged the teachers to observe educational standards and spiritual attitude in their classes, adding that the teachers would score a brilliant performance if they exercise tolerance and homage towards their trainees and properly grow their minds.
Ayatollah Khamenei then said that an overhaul was essential for the country's educational structure, noting that the current system of education in the country is at best a replication of western methodology and content. The IR Leader urged the educational authorities to develop a well-thought and vigorous educational system for the posterity by assistance of schooling experts.
Ayatollah Khamenei singled out rote learning as a pitfall in the national educational system, adding that to pave the ground for emergence of talents the educational system must adopt a thought-generative approach.
Ayatollah Khamenei said that schooling system was more significant and imperative for the country compared to higher education as the country among others offers many vacancies which have no relevance to tertiary training.
Ayatollah Khamenei also urged for the establishment of a department dedicated to spiritual matters in schools with the aim of tending to the souls of school kids.
The IR Leader said that it was essential for all children in school age to become literate and called for a timetabled program to spread literacy all over the country.
"We must reach a point where it is mandatory for all individuals to possess primary school certificate as it is the case for Identification Card," the IR Leader encouraged.
In another regard, Ayatollah Khamenei said that there was no religious hindrance to using foreign know-how, however "we would choose what serves our interests and would not let the aliens to feed our minds with its own preoccupations."
The IR Leader described the Iranian young generation as abundant in talents and said that thanks to the Iranian nation's continued allegiance with Imam Khomeini and the revolution, the ebullient youths of the nation will accomplish great works of which nuclear energy generation was a simple case.
"20 years ago, if someone bothered speaking about centrifuge manufacturing and uranium enrichment in Iran, no one would believe him. However, the talented Iranian youths has now scored such an innovative performance that all nations are appreciating it for its lively interest in the science and its efforts to restore its related rights," Ayatollah Khamenei said.
"This is the true meaning of innovation and the exact evidence of potentialities of the great Iranian nation," Ayatollah Khamenei added.
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