Mangaluru: A total of 36 teachers from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts were honoured with the district-level Best Teacher Awards on Saturday, September 5, as part of Teachers’ Day celebrations. The awards recognised educators for their contribution to teaching and the development of students.
The award ceremonies were held separately in Mangaluru and Udupi, bringing together teachers, education officials, elected representatives and members of the administration to recognise their service.
21 teachers honoured in Dakshina Kannada
In Dakshina Kannada, 21 teachers from the primary, higher primary and high school categories received the district-level Best Teacher Awards.
The awards were presented during the Teachers’ Day celebration organised by the Dakshina Kannada district administration and Zilla Panchayat. District In-charge Minister and State Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader inaugurated the programme in Mangaluru.
The awardees represented the district’s seven educational taluks, highlighting the contribution of teachers working across different parts of Dakshina Kannada.
The awards covered three broad categories — lower primary, higher primary and high school — recognising educators working with students at different stages of school education.
The recognition comes as part of the annual Teachers’ Day celebrations held to honour the contribution of teachers to education and society.
Khader stresses value-based education
Speaking at the Mangaluru programme, U.T. Khader said teachers have a major role in shaping individuals and contributing to nation-building.
He emphasised that education should go beyond academic learning and include values that help students become responsible members of society. According to Khader, simply being educated does not necessarily prevent individuals from engaging in undesirable activities, making value-based education important.
The Minister also highlighted the need for teachers to continuously update their knowledge and teaching skills as technology evolves.
With artificial intelligence increasingly influencing different sectors, Khader urged teachers to understand new technologies and changing student needs. He said educators should remain connected with students and society rather than becoming disconnected as technology advances.
15 teachers honoured in Udupi
In Udupi district, 15 teachers were honoured with the district-level Best Teacher Awards.
The awardees represented educational institutions across several taluks, including Byndoor, Brahmavar, Kundapura, Karkala and Udupi. The ceremony was attended by Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Kota Srinivas Poojary, according to the report.
Teachers from different categories were recognised for their work, including headmasters and assistant teachers. Among those mentioned in the report were headmasters Shailaja Shetty and R. Narayana Shenoy, along with teachers including Ganesh, Ravi and Piyush D’Souza.
The recognition acknowledged the role played by teachers in strengthening education at the grassroots level, particularly in schools serving communities across the district.
Recognition across different levels of schooling
The district-level awards were distributed across lower primary, higher primary and high school categories.
Such recognition allows education departments to acknowledge teachers who have made notable contributions to classroom teaching, student development and school activities. The awards also provide encouragement to educators working in different parts of the districts.
The celebrations in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi were held alongside Teachers’ Day observances across Karnataka. Teachers’ Day is celebrated in India every year on September 5 to mark the birth anniversary of former President and educationist Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
The Karnataka government also held its State-level Teachers’ Day programme during the same period, with teachers from across the State being recognised for their contributions.
Teachers play key role in shaping students
The ceremonies in Mangaluru and Udupi highlighted the wider role of teachers beyond classroom instruction.
From helping students develop academic skills to encouraging extracurricular participation and social values, teachers remain an important part of the education system. The district-level awards seek to recognise such contributions and encourage educators to continue improving the quality of learning.
The emphasis on adapting to technology is also increasingly relevant as schools and students encounter rapid changes in artificial intelligence and digital learning.
The Teachers’ Day celebrations therefore combined recognition of the achievements of individual educators with a broader message about the evolving responsibilities of the teaching profession.
With 36 educators from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi receiving district-level honours, the celebrations provided an opportunity to acknowledge the teachers working across the coastal districts and their contribution to shaping the next generation.