Memorable day at school
FANCY DRESS, CULTURE AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES AS NATION MARKS CHILDREN’S DAY
Fancy dress, culture, inspirational stories as nation marks Children’s Day |
Ask any teacher or child about his or her most memorable day in school and the answer is most likely to be Children’s Day — celebrated in India on November 14, the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India.
An integral part of childhood, Children’s Day holds a plethora of memories for both adults and children. Recollecting the fun time they had as kids, elders now try to recreate similar events to make the day special for children. Most schools in India hold fancy dress competitions, painting contests, cultural programmes and fairs that are organised by the children, for the children.
Rajbir Singh, Principal of Government Boys Senior Secondary School, New Delhi, says: “Like every year, children in our school will decorate classrooms and corridors with balloons and ribbons and hold a fair, wherein they set up variety of food, toys and essential items stalls. But the day begins when they are briefed about the significance of the day, with emphasis on how Nehru sacrificed the comforts of life for the country’s freedom. Relating stories about him brings motivation in children’s impressionable minds.
“Interacting on a personal level, without studies coming in the way, we see the real potential of children coming out. And with the changing times, we have evolved. Our school has set guidelines for teachers to narrate real time stories so that students can relate to them. For instance, this Kerala-based 17-year-old, Anie Ribu Joshy, who is perhaps the world’s youngest anti-drug activist, amazes me.”
Awareness about ills
Anie gives motivational training to students and shot to the limelight when she threw down a challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a YouTube video, asking what he could do to wipe out the drug mafia from the country. Anie runs a campaign which aims at helping students overcome addiction by erasing negative thoughts and developing a positive attitude.
Manisha Kumari, teacher, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jaipur, also said was imperative to create awareness among children about the ills plaguing the society.
“I begin preparing for the occasion, days in advance by gathering stories of young achievers, to read them out to children. It is a blessing to see the change in them, as they strive to follow the stories protagonists. This time the story will be about the Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh girl Shruti Pandey, who at the age of six became the youngest yoga trainer in the world. Today, at 12, she has followers ranging from businessmen, teachers, housewives and pensioners in several states.”
When Gulf News spoke to Shruti, she said, “I like to remain fit and disciplined. With my passion for yoga, I have been able to teach asanas to many people and they have got rid of severe diseases. Helping people will always remain my life’s aim.” M .Tenith Adithyaa is another role model who tries to make Children’s Day special in his own way. He says, “I do not want to live with problems. I want to solve them.” The 18-year-old wonder child from Tamil Nadu already has more than a dozen inventions under his name.
One of the most interesting includes, the banana leaf preservation technology, wherein banana leaves are preserved for a year without using any chemicals.
These leaves are turned into cups and plates that can resist extreme temperatures and are very durable. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has approved his project.