Today was the death anniversary of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. On this very day, schools in the Valley opened after twenty days. No tribute could be truer. Kalam loved classrooms more than corridors of power. The ringing of the morning bell honoured him better than any wreath or speech.

Kalam died on 27 July 2015 while speaking to students. That was his life’s work till his last breath. So the date carries a message for the education department. The best memorial to Kalam is a school that works and a child who dreams.

“Dream, dream, dream,” he told the young. Dreams become thoughts. Thoughts become action. The department must now dream with the same courage. Opening the gates was the easy part. Rebuilding purpose is the real task. We need labs that work. Libraries with books. Playgrounds in use. Teachers who are trained and trusted.

Twenty lost days have hurt our children. The answer is not a blind race through the syllabus. It is a clear plan. Extra classes for those who fell behind. Support for those who lost pace. A firm focus on reading, writing and numbers. Every lost day must be won back with purpose, not pressure.

This session must belong to government schools. For years, people wrote them off. Excellence was treated as private school property. Our own results have started to prove that wrong. Give the government school child resources and belief. He will compete with anyone. Kalam himself was proof. A boat owner’s son from Rameswaram. Educated in ordinary schools. Talent needs opportunity, not a fee structure.

So let this be the year government schools outshine. Set clear targets. Better results. Higher enrolment. Zero dropouts. Smart classrooms in every zone. Teachers who are celebrated, not just supervised. Every officer and headmaster should ask one question each morning. What would Kalam expect of my school today?

The Missile Man gave this nation wings. Our schools must now teach a generation to fly. The gates are open. The bell has rung. The tribute has begun. Let it not end with the first period.

Kalam called ignited minds the most powerful resource on earth. Our classrooms are full of them again. Let us not waste a single one.