In Japan , there is no Teacher's Day .
One day, I asked my Japanese colleague, teacher Yamamota:
- How do you celebrate Teacher's Day in Japan?
Surprised by my question , he replied :
- We don't have Teacher's Day .
When I heard his reply , I was not sure whether I should believe him or not. A thought passed through my mind : " Why a country , which is so advanced in economy, sciences and technology, so disrespectful towards teachers and their work ? "
***
Once, after work, Yamamota invited me to his house . We took the metro since it was far away . It was the evening peak hour, and the wagons in the metro train were overcrowded . I managed to find a space to stand, holding tightly the overhead rail. Suddenly, the elderly man who was seated beside me offered me his seat. Not understanding this respectful behaviour of an elderly man , I declined, but he was persistent, and I was forced to sit . Once we were out of the metro , I inquired Yamamota to explain what exactly the whitebeard man did . Yamamota smiled and pointed towards the tag of teacher I was wearing and said :
- This old man has seen the tag of a teacher on you and as a sign of respect towards your status , offered you his seat .
Since I was visiting Yamamota for the first time , I felt uncomfortable going there with empty hands so I decided to buy a gift . I shared my thoughts with Yamamota, he supported the idea and said that a little further, there is a shop for teachers , where one can purchase goods at reduced prices. Once again , I couldn't hold my emotions :
- Privileges are offered only to teachers ? I asked .
Confirming my words , Yamamota said:
- In Japan, teaching is the most respected profession and the teacher is the most respected person. The Japanese entrepreneurs are very happy when teachers come to their shops, they consider it an honour .
***
During my stay in Japan, I've observed multiple times the utmost respect of the Japanese towards teachers. They have special seats allocated for them in metro , there are special shops for them , teachers there didn’t line up in queue for tickets for whatever type of transport. That's why the Japanese teachers don't need a special day , when every day in their life is a celebration.
Spread this story to everyone. Let the society grow to appreciate the teachers to this level . Retell this story to your colleagues so that their chests swell with pride .
My teacher, I bow down to you.
🙏🏻