The City police have embarked on a unique programme with various agencies to reorient the attitude of school ‘backbenchers’.
The ‘Agniparavakal’ programme is being implemented in collaboration with Smart City Thiruvananthapuram Ltd (SCTL), Kerala Academy of Skill Excellence (KASE), and the General Education department.
While the Government Model Boys Higher Secondary School (HSS) in Thycaud has been chosen for the pilot project, the initiative derives inspiration from a similar programme that was successfully undertaken in Mattancherry Vocational Higher Secondary School in Kochi after being conceptualised by its Principal Fasil.
Government Model Boys HSS principal Pramod is the supervisor of the programme in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the District Police Chief (Thiruvananthapuram City) C.H. Nagaraju, who is the patron of the initiative, the 100-day programme comprises a five-day residential camp with students undertaking a special training programme over the remaining 95 days.
It aims at helping students adopt a fresh positive look at their life circumstances and also assist them in personality development, self-esteem building, public speaking, and focusing on academics, sports and healthy habits. The programme is run with the help of mentors, motivation speakers, public personalities and subject experts in various fields.
While General Education Minister V. Sivankutty reviewed the pilot programme, Smart City chief executive officer Arun Vijayan, KASE managing director Veena Madhavan, Director of General Education Shanavas S. and KASE chief operating officer Vinod interacted with the students.
