TEHRAN – Leader of the Islamic
Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Wednesday highlighted the important role that Iranian teachers play in developing a modern Islamic civilization, saying the current generation of students should remain vigilant against the obsolete Eastern and Western civilizations.
“A teacher’s mission is a very great task. This is not about just ordinary, normal teaching. This is about a fundamental training,” he told a group of teachers here.
Ayatollah Khamene said we should train our students in such a way that they develop a national identity, adding this is more important or at least as important as learning science.
“We should train students to develop a feeling of national self-confidence in them and for them to learn about the country’s honors. Survey the students at schools and see what percent know Kazemi Ashtiani (founder of the Royan Institute)? What percent know Ronaldo?”
The Leader said students must understand the value of resistance.
“What’s a resistant nation? One that doesn’t submit to extortion and coercion. The elixir to cure the country’s problems is a spirit of resistance. A nation must be able to resist coercion. This must be formed in us from childhood.”
The Leader also praised teachers for training a “civilization-creating generation” and lauded their efforts under the coronavirus pandemic.
He said the younger generation should focus on their national and Islamic-Iranian identity, develop self-confidence and resistance, improve their knowledge of Imam Khomeini and his aspirations, and try to raise scientific skills.
Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the sublime goal of building a modern and prosperous Islamic civilization.
“The human resources account for the infrastructure of every civilization, and the founders of the modern Islamic civilization are the generation now at the teachers’ disposal. Therefore, the importance and value of teaching should be comprehended from this angle,” he said.
“This generation (of Iranian students) with such tremendous goal must own Iranian-Islamic identity, firm and deep beliefs, and self-confidence, be self-made, vigilant in the face of the obsolete civilizations of East and West, scientist, and efficient in order to be able to shape that great civilization,” the Leader stated.
“In a world where everybody, either the East or the West, is bullying, the future generation must learn the value and importance of resistance from now so that they would create civilization in light of these teachings and make the nation and the country dignified,” Ayatollah Khamenei added.
The Leader also stressed the need to familiarize the students with the Islamic lifestyle, social cooperation, research, voluntary activities, battling the social harms, and law obedience.
Ayatollah Khamenei further called for efforts to carry out the document on fundamental reform of education in a full and integrated manner.