Schools have resumed programmes on the campus, all of which had been held online in the last two years of the pandemic.
For several schools, Rabindra Jayanti has given them the occasion to get students back on stage, an experience they were missing out on during online school.
Stage programmes are an important part of school because through them, students are able to shed their stage fright, gain confidence and learn to perform in front of a live audience, many teachers said.
In the last two years, children had performed online. Their individual videos would be shot on mobile phones or other devices at home, giving them no opportunity to coordinate and work together as a team.
“With schools reopening, we got the opportunity to have an in-person programme. On stage, there is massive teamwork and coordination that is required,” said Amita Prasad, director of Indus Valley World School.
On stage, unlike what they were doing online, students cannot take several takes, said Prasad.
Some schools have on-stage Rabindra Jayanti programmes scheduled for May 6 and May 9.
Some NGOs have planned in-person programmes, too.
Some schools said if the government was firm about suspending in-person classes because of the summer heat, they would have to put the programmes on hold.
Indus Valley World School students at a rehearsal
Teachers said the rehearsals for the programmes showed that children had forgotten basic rules like standing in a line or following instructions.
“School programmes teach them discipline. Not just to the students who are participating in the event but even those who come to watch the performance. Students need to learn how to sit through a programme, when to applaud and what decorum is to be maintained in an auditorium,” said Madhumita Seal, vice-principal of BDM International.
Seal said that in online programmes, they had noticed that neither parents nor students sat through the whole programme.
“They would log in when it was time for their children’s performance and log out after that. That is not how it should be,” she said.
For Rabindra Jayanti, schools have planned programmes with 40 to 200 children who will take turns to be on stage.
Students practise for a Rabindra Jayanti programme
“An in-person programme brings back the joy of being on campus and it is part of active learning,” said Anjana Saha, principal of Mahadevi Birla World Academy.
South City International School had organised a programme for pre-primary to Class II at the end of March. The next programme they are organising is Rabindra Jayanti.
“On stage, synchronisation has to happen between the students. The children learn the skills needed to perform in a group,” said John Bagul, the principal of South City International School.
Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, celebrates its 80th foundation day
Picture by Sanat Kr Sinha
The Ramakrishna Mission Ashrama, Narendrapur, celebrated its 80th foundation day on Wednesday.
The ashrama had not celebrated its foundation day in the last two years because of the pandemic.
Swami Balabhadrananda, assistant general secretary, Ramakrishna Math and Mission, who was the chief guest at the programme, inaugurated a newly-constructed Mandir Gate (in picture).
Students of Ramakrishna Mission Vidyalaya, Narendrapur; Ramakrishna Mission Residential College (Autonomous), Narendrapur, and other wings of the ashrama attended the programme at Vivekananda Centenary Hall on the ashrama campus. Swami Sarvalokananda, secretary of the ashrama, said in his address that Swami Vivekananda had realised that education was the tool to uplift the underprivileged and the ashrama was pursuing this mission through its activities.