The final episode of Harithav`idyalayam was telecast live as the prize dedication ceremony from Thunjan Paramba today. Students of Kootakani UP School, Kasargode walked off with the first prize of Rs.15lakh.
Hon’ writer, M.T.Vasudevan Nair was the chief guest. In search of the green- liveliness of basic education, dedicated team effort to gain recognition for one’s school, by itself is quite appreciable; he said. Let this grow into a great reality to rectify the myth on quality of private education…
I recollected the first days when I expressed my wish to watch the show. The time slot is during the Idea Star Singer on Asianet, a favourite family reality show on music, over years. The same is re-telecast 3,4 times and that helped me gain permission in the first instance.But as a few episodes past, my kids became equally or more vigilant to watch the telecast.That is ample proof of the impact and footage of this show, Haritha Vidhyalayam...
This program caters to about 60 lakh students in Kerala. From 12000 recognised schools, 400 applications were screened and 127 selected from that; all represented an exact profile of the schools in our state. A team of experts including resource persons from SCERT formulated a questionnaire based on education development indices identified. This helped in the initial evaluation, said Anvar Sadath, Executive Director, IT @ School. The successful completion of this program points to the scope for a revolution of transformation in the general education scenario of Kerala. Team effort and cooperation from all concerned – SSA, Victers, Doordarshan, CDIT, SIET and so on is immensely appreciable. It was evident all through the telecast.
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| Anvar Sadath, Akbar Kakkattil, M.T.Vasudevan Nair, K.R.Meera and Dr.Piyush Antony during the award dedication |
During the final episode, Premita Prem pointed out that a small girl watching the telecast on Manacaud School, asked her parents to enroll her in a similar school and that the process is in progress. My experience was also not different. The visuals displayed from schools with good playgrounds, smart classrooms, laboratories, multitude of extracurricular activities, public sanitation, planting trees, vegetable gardens, good libraries, and the way in which Mammas visited schools and participated in the nutrition and food distribution programme, all instilled a desire in them to belong to such an open atmosphere in my kids too…
As I browsed Smt.K.R.Meera, youngest jury member; I came across her experience sharing. The link is attached below.
Presented in a lucid style, few matters caught my attention. As rightly pointed out, what facilitated me to watch the program daily was my feeling rather realization that what I am today I owe a lot to my Alma matar, my school education, for its fragrance and delight. Thanks a lot dear teachers…
Another reason, why I followed the program is my hidden concern as my kids resemble exactly our favourite anchor, Premita; though K.R.Meera has depicted truth covered in her humour. Innumerable private schools and most aided schools are releasing such kids into our society, with pride.
How we can change this and what I can contribute is something I think on a daily basis and more so on certain specific occasions.
“Parents seldom understand the creativity of their own kids.”
It is still a tragic truth that parents focus and give over stress on academic performance alone.
Even in my kids school, both students and their parents have difficulty when a kid that is not ones own is given an opportunity to perform or a chance to excel. They believe in grabbing all available options for themselves and this in turn is the exhibition of their poor background; which they don’t realize for themselves.
It is so pathetic that the extent is so huge in such a way that even kids with contagious diseases are forcefully sent to school to save attendance. It’s truly difficult to make up for the lost lessons even for a day or two, in private schools. So what if the kid has chicken pox? What if many others get infected? They should be back at the earliest…This attitude definitely has to change.
“Let our education not create mediocre citizens through the learning process;”said SSA Director.
Both these statements presented today need to be subjected to lot of discussion in the coming days.
As pointed out by Dr.R.V.G.Menon, the tribe head of the jury, a school becomes best not when they achieve accolades by exposing only the hand countable talented fellows BUT when all students can participate in all activities with equal or maximum possible caliber and confidence. Only when teachers have a committed attitude is this possible. As he said it’s up to the management or administration to ensure comfortable working environment for teachers to facilitate interactive learning process and students to explore and learn. It needs a team effort and adequate support from parents.
Not just availability of adequate infrastructure but its rational utilization was also evaluated through live interactions and direct visits by the jury to top 10 schools. What is a good school was evaluated over 40 indices on a grading pattern.
As Akbar Kakkattil said, our education process should help evolve kids holistically; it is not enough if they succeed in IQ but they should equally have a good EQ too. He said that the human bombs exploding in his native are unfortunately academically brilliant fellows, but with low EQ.
Children who are cared less at home are more attention seekers at school and in public. Only effective teachers can identify and handle them properly. Meera also cites an example in her experience sharing about similar students. It’s not enough that one or two can sing, another can dance, another act, and some others efficient in sports. Anybody should have the confidence to exhibit their talent in public.
With the lyrics of the theme song of Harithavidyalayam, let me thank the show, its members for having taken many like me to our school days once again…
മന്ന്തരി തൊട്ടു മഹാ ആകാശം വരെ
എന്തെന്നറിയാന് ദാഹികുന്നവരെ
പിന്ചോമാനകല്ക് അമൃതം പകരും
സഞ്ചിത സംസ്കൃതി തന് ഉറവെ
ഹരിത മനോഹര വിധ്യലയമെ
നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നീ വരൂ
നവഷരങ്ങള് പോലെ ഇത് വഴി
നടന്നു പോയ മനീഷികള് തന്
മോഴികളിലെ മണി മുത്തുകള് കടഞ്ഞെടുക്കാന്
കഴിവുട്ടവരായി തീര്കൂ
ഇവരെ കഴിവുട്ടവരായി തീര്കൂ
ഹരിതമാനോഹര വിധ്യല്കയമെ
നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നീ വരൂ
അവിടെയുമുള്ള മനീഷികളെ പോലെ
ഇവരെയും തന്നോടനയ്കുക നീ
ജീവപ്രക്രിതികകും
ഇവരെ കവലലുകലാകൂ
ഇവരെ കാവലലുകലകുക നീ
ഹരിത മനോഹര വിധ്യലയമെ
നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നിറയൂ നീ വരൂ
HATS OFF TO ALL INVOLVED …
the whole crew behind the education reality show...
for such a nostalgic event...
