The Block Resource Centre (BRC), Meladi, Kozhikode, has launched a project to inculcate the habit of reading among around 5,000 students in primary schools under its jurisdiction.
Titled ‘Vayanachangatham’, the initiative aims to nurture an orientation towards independent reading among them. It is being jointly implemented by the General Education Department and the Kozhikode office of the Samagra Shiksha, Keralam.
Department sources said that the government wishes to make students from classes 1 to 4 capable of reading and writing in their mother tongue and also ensure that they pursue independent reading and writing. Select teachers from the district would be trained in the first phase. They, in turn, would train other teachers and parents. Platforms would be arranged for students and parents to explore their creative talents. Writing poems and short stories and book reviews would be promoted. Some of these works would be brought out as books.
The students would also be given reading cards, with poems and short stories. They would have space for drawing pictures of their favourite characters from books too. They would be circulated through WhatsApp groups of parents.
The officials said that all the primary schools under the Meladi BRC would be covered in the project. Training programmes and other works are going on in primary schools in Keezhariyur, Thurayur, Meppayyur, and Thikkodi grama panchayats and in Payyoli Municipality. Writing competitions for parents and students are being planned.
