President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday called on students of St. Joseph's School here to stride onto paths of life with a positive attitude and strong spirit.
Speaking on the occasion of the 125th Year Jubilee Celebrations' of St. Joseph's School, North Point, he said besides training and education, they should build strength of character, mind and purpose, and added that knowledge should be always used in the service of people and society.
President Mukherjee said Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru often said: 'If India is to be a great nation, it must begin in her classrooms.'
"Institutions like St. Joseph's School, North Point, and others run by the Jesuit fathers like St. Xavier's, Kolkata where Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore studied, St. Xavier's Mumbai; XLRI Jamshedpur and Loyola College, Chennai have stood the test of time and contributed to the building of our nation," President Mukherjee added.
Referring to the saying, 'The Battle of Waterloo was won in the playing fields of Eton', President Mukherjee said India's tomorrows are shaped in the crucibles of great schools, in their classrooms, games fields as well as co-curricular activities.
"It is important that compassion and concern for the under privileged in society is inculcated in our children at an early age so that they can become change agents who transform India and lead her to a better future," he added.
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He also said there is need for constant efforts to upgrade the education system, at both the school and university levels.
"India has today enacted the Right to Education Act which is a landmark legislation that seeks to ensure that every child up to 14 years attends school. The education imparted must be of quality and teachers well trained," he said.
President Mukherjee said education is a powerful tool for social transformation.
"The outcome of our education system will be measured not merely by the number of degree holders, but in the large numbers of informed citizens that we create - enlightened citizens, who respect humanism and instinctively rise above narrow feelings of hatred, regionalism, violence, divisiveness; and contribute gainfully to a better, stronger and vibrant India," he said.
He further said the youth of this country are not lagging behind any other in matters of intelligence or talent; what this country needs is sincerity and dedication.