JOIN USSchoolchildren in the district enjoyed going to school without carrying a bag and engaged themselves in various creative activities on Saturday.
Taking a cue from Uttar Pradesh, the Department of Public Instruction in the district had issued a circular on starting 'No Bag Day', which is the first of its kind in Karnataka. The concept was formally launched in Dakshina Kannada on Saturday.
DDPI Shivaramaiah told DH, "To introduce novelty in learning, the 'No Bag Day' concept has been introduced. There is a feeling that teachers are only for teaching. Through 'No Bag Day', the gap between the teachers and the students will be reduced. Through creative activities, students will be made to show interest in the process of learning."
The decision was initiated during a meeting of officials with ZP CEO Dr M R Ravi. The circular has been issued to all the 2,033 government, aided, and unaided schools. However, there is no compulsion on the same.
"The schoolchildren arrived in their uniforms, but with a difference. There were no formal classes. The five periods of 45 minutes each were utilised for quiz, pick and speak, mock Parliament, debate, making artefacts from waste, making teaching models, utilsing of library and computer learning. Students also danced, sang songs, engaged in drawing and took part in cleanliness drive," said the DDPI and department officials.
"Interestingly, even before the formal launch, nearly 50 schools in Sullia taluk had already implemented the project on December 16 and the response was encouraging. On December 16, students in Sullia were made to revise what they learnt in the week in innovative ways. The activity-based learning is also a challenge for the teachers," he said.
The department has also given schools the liberty to hold 'No Bag Day' for SSLC students.
Shivaramaiah said the Education Department officials from Chikkamagaluru, Chikkaballapur and Bagalkot have expressed happiness over the concept initiated in Dakshina Kannada.
At several places, the children in some schools were taken to nearby paddy fields and hospitals. A few schools in Dakshina Kannada have Christmas holidays from Saturday. The children in Moodapadukodi school carried out a jatha to spread the message on cleanliness in Irvathooru Gram Panchayat on the No Bag Day.
In fact, 'No Bag Day' will be observed one Saturday in a month.