‘Joyful Saturday’ – A Government of Rajasthan Initiative

We all know that in today’s competitive world, students are highly burdened by academic pressure. They are taught around 8-9 subjects. They have to bear the pressure of assignments, homework, projects etc. In doing all of this the real childhood gets lost.

Children these days have hardly time to play and live life. They are stressed more than their age. This is a serious problem that needs to be addressed. Lately, Rajasthan Government has come up with a resolution to this problem. The Rajasthan Government has proposed that students shall not carry their heavy bags to school for Joyful Saturdays. It shall be held post recess on second and fourth Saturdays. During this time activities will be carried out so as to improvise communication skills, creativity, critical and logical thinking etc. This practice shall be conducted for students of classes 1 to 12. The Rajasthan School Education Council has recently issued a circular to all the district education officers and district coordinators of Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan in this regard. Activities like debate, poetry recitation, storytelling, puzzle solving, display of scientific magic tricks, toy making, arts and crafts, communicating with police, doctors, nurses, bank staffers, plantation works, road safety, child rights’ club activities, display of motivational videos, gender-based videos (good touch, bad touch), games, etc., will be held under six segments of expression or communication skills — creativity, critical thinking and logic skills, community skills, social sensitivity skill and physical skills. There shall be a division of students under 3 batches. The first batch shall include class 1 to 5 students, the second batch shall comprise of students from classes 6 to 8 and the third batch shall have students from classes 9 to 12. Each school shall be provided a fund of Rs. 1000 for buying the necessary items for the conduct of these activities. The students are extremely excited for this new exercise. Alongside, the schools have also received an encouragement to focus a little more on these extra-curricular activities.

By: Anuja Arora

Content: https://indianexpress.com/article/education/no-bags-on-joyful-saturday-rajasthan-govt-introduces-new-initiative-in-schools-5347561/