Teachers of Dr T Thirugnanam Primary School in Madurai has started teaching farming along with their education at students' doorstep from November 1 onwards, and it created good response among the students and parents. In view of COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, educational institutions across the state were closed from March 24.
Meanwhile, the School Education Department has insisted the students to learn from Kalvitv channels. Similarly, teachers in the school taking online classes for the students. But, at the same time very few students only having a smartphone or TV at their home. Hence, Dr T Thirugnanam Primary School Headmaster K Saravanan and teachers began visiting the students to teach. Along with the lessons, from November 1 onwards, they started teaching how to prepare natural fertiliser from vegetable wastes at their home.
Speaking to Express, Headmaster K Saravanan said that there are 285 students in the school. Of them, only 85 students have smartphones. "Hence, we created a common WhatsApp group for classes I to V. All the teachers have been asked to interact with the students regularly to help them prepare themselves for the pandemic, apart from clarifying their doubts. But at the same time, we want to make the other students study the subjects because most of our students are belongs to the economically deprived family. We collect all the students and make them sit at one place by following social distancing and wearing masks. Parents are eagerly sending their wards," he said.
He further stated that teachers used to visit the students residing in the places of Chinthamani, Viraganoor, Sakkimangalam, Panaiyur and teachers would take classes from 8.30 to 11.30. With that, from November 1 onwards, "Every day, we started planting a tree at students house and public places near their homes. Ask them to grow the saplings, it created a good response among the students. Also, giving awareness about natural farming, encouraging them to set up grow vegetable garden by giving seeds of brinjal, greens, ladies finger and the likes."
Most of the students are interested in learning farming activities. Teachers' regularly visit their garden and encouraging their activities. "If the students, do not have enough space at their house, we ask them to grow plants in pots. Students also doing composed fertiliser by using biodegradable wastes from their home", he said. "Students, teachers and himself jointly sung a song which praises the significance of farming. It was uploaded in the Youtube along with tree saplings photos," he added.
