Students of a higher secondary school in Hingalganj, North 24-Parganas, have painted murals on the pillars and walls of their school building in the past few weeks, an activity they said made coming back to school after a long gap enjoyable.
The idea behind it is to bridge learning gaps, ignite their interest in coming to class and create ownership regarding their school, the head of the institution said.
The state government asked schools to reopen from November 16 for classes IX to XII.
Cultural programmes or group activities were not an option because of the pandemic. “Only academics cannot keep the students’ interest sustained in coming to school. So, we had to devise a new way,” said Pulak Roy Chowdhury, the headmaster of Kanaknagar SD Institution, about 100km from the heart of Kolkata.
Across schools, especially in the districts, many students have been forced to drop out because of constraints in the family. Some children have shown a tendency to drop out because of the learning gaps that have widened because of the prolonged absence from classrooms. Many institutions are trying ways to keep their interest in school sustained.
A significant section of students across schools could not attend online class during the past 21 months because of the lack of access to devices.
“Not all students are academically brilliant and these kinds of activities outside of the routine class sustains their interest in school and increases their involvement,” said Roy Chowdhury.
“Their school has become colourful and attractive because of their own handiwork and they take ownership of it and want to come to school. Only when they come to school will we be able to make them focus on academics.”
The painted pillars and walls of Kanaknagar SD Institution in Hingalganj, North 24-Parganas. Telegraph picture
The long absence has also impacted the mental well-being of students. Counsellors feel activities outside of routine studies would be beneficial to the mental health of children.
The murals the students have drawn on the pillars depict the elements of the periodic table and fire and earthquake safety instructions.
“Earlier, in festivals, I would draw alpana in school but all of it stopped in the last two years. Now, again we are doing wall painting,” said Maliha Mumtaz, a student of Class XI.
Drawing on paper and a wall is not the same, admits Maliha.
“It is more challenging and unlike a sheet of paper, you cannot move the wall. I have to move up and down to see if it is as per the wall measurement,” she said.
The idea of drawing the elements of the periodic table will help students to memorise the names as they walk up and down the school corridor.
They will learn it automatically when they keep seeing it, a teacher said.