The former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was in Kochi on Friday for the inauguration of the Finishing School For Teachers. He said that there was a need for a paradigm shift in thinking in the evaluation of the performance of schools.

The best school is one where the students complete schooling up to Plus Two after 25,000 hours of education on the campus. They  have to become full-fledged responsible citizens for the nation who will be able to realise their dreams and not be frightened of any  problem. They should be groomed to be physically fit, academically sound with capacities for research and inquiry, innovation, use of  high technology, and moral and entrepreneurial leadership, said Mr. Kalam after launching the IGNOU-Pragati International  Community College’s ‘Finishing School for Teachers’ at a function organised by the Kerala CBSE School Managements’  Association.

The students of the best school should be emotionally mature and spiritually awakened. Teachers, on their part, should be able to give  their students all-round capability that is always creative, observant, aiming at continuous knowledge acquisition leading to the  generation of excellent performers with sterling character. Schools should generate happy, righteous youth who would be  professionally sound and morally upright.

Dr. Kalam also administered an 11-point oath to the teachers. An interactive session in which he responded to queries from the teaching community was also held as part of the programme. T.P.M. Ibrahim Khan, president, Kerala CBSE School Managements’ Association, presided over the meeting.