Deprived of outdoor games, friends, and facilities such as libraries, children are the most affected during the pandemic-induced lockdown.
A teacher in Thrissur has made an innovative step to positively engage her students during this worrying times.
P.U. Daya of Sree Ramakrishna Gurukula Vidyamandir L.P. School, Puranattukara, has arranged a small library in houses of all students in her class.
“We have a library in the school and a small collection of books in each class. But due to the lockdown, students are not able to access these books. My aim is to inculcate the habit of reading in children from a tender age, so as to engage them creatively,” she says.
There are 42 students in her class, III B. Students of the school are mostly from families in Adattu grama panchayat.
Ms. Daya organised books for her students with the support of various publishers. There are 100 copies of Pularithuval, poet P.K. Gopi’s latest book for children, in the library. She added books from her own library too to the collection.
“It was difficult to reach books to every house during the lockdown,” she says. She asked parents to buy books for children instead of toys, chocolates, and other gifts. The children were asked to collect books from their neighbours too. “Everyone cooperated generously,” she says.
There are 10-100 books in the personal libraries of each student. At the school reopening on June 1, her student P.V. Diya gave a surprise gift to her teacher by reciting one of the poems from Pularithuval.
Ms. Daya plans to extend her effort to other classes too this academic year.
“Children should grow up reading. Their home should become a library. Classes and homes should be filled with books,” she says.
