On World Literacy Day, October 16, 13 students of Class 8th and 9th brought their room alive through extempore speeches. Three members – Vice-President Dr Prathibha Vinay, Organisational Development Officer Jhuma Guha and Zarreen Babu, a member, represented the club and also the judges for an extempore competition. They struggled to declare the winners, as all the students were clear and articulate. The rest of the class asked questions and interacted with them all the time.
The students’ insights into the difference between education and literacy, ancient gurukul methods of teaching, gender equality in education and the value of a degree, kept the whole class mesmerized.
One educated woman can educate the whole world; there is more inclusiveness in ancient methods of teaching during which students give back to teachers; education and modern social behavior… all these idioms raised the bar in the class. One thoughtful comment was – that a high school student from a poor family cannot hold his own in an elite setting. Excited at their progress, SIB asked them to form sub-groups to hold their own small contests.
Finally, the tide began to flow in the reverse directions, as the students expressed a lot of interest in SI. They not only asked questions about the organisation, but also wanted to know when they could join.