A school assembly countered ideas of gender bias and bullying and opened up channels of communication between students and the school so that they could report instances of bullying without hesitation.

Students of Classes III, IV, and V of Mahadevi Birla World Academy had a special assembly before they closed for the Puja vacation, challenging ideas of gender stereotypes and body shaming, which is common across different schools.

In the assembly, a Class IV boy was shown making sweetmeats for the festivity when his friend mocked him: “Being a boy, you are preparing a sweet?”

In another instance, a Class III girl was teased for her looks.

In a third instance, a Class III boy was body-shamed when he was eating his tiffin.

The examples were those that are common in schools and those with which children can identify, said a teacher.

“The students showed in the assembly how Goddess Durga was angry with their attitude and their conscience was pricked. Their mindset changed and they realised that bullying could adversely impact people. They showed Durga’s journey from anger to acceptance to affection,” said Nupur Ghosh, the vice-principal of the school.

The school conceptualised this assembly after receiving an email from a parent about how their child in the junior school had been subjected to a racist remark in school.

“Every year we do an assembly on Durga Puja before we close for the vacation. This year we thought we would use this opportunity to address issues of bullying and body-shaming and sensitise our students about it,” said Ghosh.

In the audience were students and their parents.

At the end of the assembly, a teacher asked the students if any of them identified with the instances shown in the assembly. Some hands went up.

“We want students to report bullying so that it can be nipped in the bud. Merely talking to students does not always help. When children see something playing out in front of them, they identify with it and get the courage to speak out,” said Ghosh.

“Many children are ashamed to speak about it but when they see, they realise they are not the only ones,” she said.

But the school cannot stop at one assembly, and there has to be more sensitisation at regular intervals, said a teacher. “Sensitisation helps the bullied open up and the bullies realise their actions are not going unnoticed,” said Ghosh.