This govt school in Pudukkottai has a shop solely to impart the quality of honesty

At the Honesty store, students are encouraged to buy whatever they want and leave the money in a box
The stationary counter at the Honesty shop in the Middle School | Muthu Kannan
The stationary counter at the Honesty shop in the Middle School | Muthu Kannan

A panchayat union school in Pudukkottai has been imparting the quality of honesty among its children in the most practical way, by setting up an 'Honesty store'. Unlike usual stores where shopkeepers conduct transactions, here, children pick whatever they want and promptly keep the money in a box kept on the table.

Hoping that the quality of honesty along with education would help tremendously in shaping the future of a child, the Panchayat Union Middle School in Avanathankottai West near Aranthangi has been running this unique store in their school campus for the past one year. Selling several items including books and stationery, the store runs solely based on trust. The children pick the item and pay for the product even without someone forcing them.

"The main idea behind the 'Honesty store' is to teach children life-orientated lessons. We want the children to be self-aware and honest. Every item in the store is kept with a price tag. The children without waiting for anyone to attend, come take whatever items they want and keep the money in the box," said Mekala, a Maths teacher and brainchild behind the idea.

Incidentally, the store sells all kinds of stationery items including popular books such as Thirukural. "Many times, students come and ask for particular items, which are not sold in their villages. In those cases, we purchase whatever is required. Every month we sell items for anywhere between Rs 1000-1200 at least," said S Baskaran, an English teacher in the school, where currently 126 students are studying.

While imparting the concept of honesty is one hand, few teachers voice that this store has given the students a real-life scenario of handling money. "Few people bring the exact change. But sometimes children bring Rs 100 notes. In such cases, they purchase whatever things they want and take the change in return. This kind of learning will also help the child to understand his shool lessons better," added the teacher.

And the concept of Honesty store has surely caused a behavioural change among the students, according to the parents. "We see a vast difference when they mingle with children who study in a different school. They are very prompt in making sure only the truth is told and we are very happy for such an initiative. These are the little things, which can help drastically in shaping his career," said parents of a class VI student. 

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