JHARKHAND: The Ranchi District Education Department has launched Ranchi Speaks, a programme to improve linguistic skills and public speaking abilities among government school students from classes 1 to 8.
It is helping students express themselves confidently in various languages, including Hindi, English, and local dialects such as Nagpuri, Sadari, Mundari, and Kudukh.
The idea was conceived by Badal Raj, Superintendent of Education in Ranchi District. The programme has helped children improve their speaking skills, body language, and confidence in facing an audience. Over the past year, since it began in Ranchi, even children from tribal areas have started speaking confidently.
“The objective is to enhance children’s language skills, self-confidence, critical thinking, and expressive abilities,” said Badal Raj.
He explained that schools provide students with opportunities to speak during prayer meetings, language classes, and awareness sessions. Students are encouraged to prepare presentations in their native languages, including English, Hindi, Nagpuri, Sadari, Mundari, Kudukh, or any other local or tribal language. They get a fortnight to prepare their speeches on a given topic.
Children who grasp topics quickly are given the opportunity to speak first, while slower learners are allowed to speak later, providing them with more time to prepare.
In this way, no child is left out. Teachers guide them in preparing their content and practicing, and they provide feedback to help students overcome challenges like stage fright, pronunciation problems, and body language issues.
According to Badal Raj, the programme has been running in approximately 2,000 schools in the district for the past year.
“The programme is being run in two levels – one is for classes 1 to 5 and the other for classes 6 to 8. In the last year, we have seen positive changes in students besides improving their linguistic skills and self-confidence,” he said.
The initiative was first started in the Simdega district. After seeing positive results there, it was introduced in Ranchi as well. A year later, a district-level competition under Ranchi Speaks is being organised.
“It will be held in four stages – school, CRC, block, and district,” said Badal Raj. He also mentioned that the programme focuses on the four key components of language proficiency: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. He is confident that “in the next 10 years, more students from government schools will qualify for the Jharkhand Public Services Commission and other competitive exams”.
Teachers praise the initiative, saying it has greatly boosted the self-confidence of students in government schools.
“Ranchi Speaks is not just a programme, it is a movement. Children who earlier lacked self-confidence have started speaking and expressing themselves before an audience in a proper way,” said a teacher at Government Primary School at Domandih under Silli Block in Ranchi.
Another teacher, Jaya Prabha, who is the District Nodal Officer for the programme, said that besides improving communication skills, the programme is helping students develop their overall personality. Parshuram Mahto, father of Samarjeet Mahto, a class 5 student at Government Primary School at Domandih, said, “My child can now speak before any audience on any topic.”
Another student, Asha Kumari of class 5, who speaks fluent English, said that she prepared a speech on Gandhi Jayanti with the help of her teachers and parents. With a year’s success behind it, Ranchi Speaks has shown how a well-executed programme can transform students from being shy and hesitant into confident public speakers.
The story is reported by Mukesh Ranjan for The New Indian Express