JOIN USSchool bulletin, student news anchors
The okra seeds sown last week in the school premises have sprouted now — this is breaking news in a Mysore school’s video bulletin. Uniform-clad students are the news anchors on ‘Namschool TV’, updating viewers on a range of topics.
Uploaded on YouTube, the weekly news bulletin was created by the students of Heggadahalli Government High School in Nanjanagud taluk, Mysuru district. The school’s drama teacher Santhosh Guddeyangadi was instrumental in organising this initiative.
“I used to share video clippings of various activities of our school on social media. The response from my friends and the teaching fraternity motivated me to start our school TV,” says Santosh.
The bulletin was started with equipment available at the school. The name ‘Namschool TV’ was suggested and chosen by the students. Santhosh handles the pre-production and post-production. He uploads the videos every Sunday morning.
Teachers in Mysuru, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts are regular viewers of Namschool TV. It has received appreciation from education department officials, as well as non-resident Indians.
“If the school misses even a single episode, viewers call me and enquire about the bulletin,” Santhosh says.
Updates on inter-school competitions, sports events and interviews with local artistes have been covered in the bulletin.
Kusuma, a student, shares that her favourite part of the Namschool TV bulletin is that it involves all students. “It provides equal opportunity to all in the school. I have learned about how to read news, voice modulation and body language in front of the camera through Namschool TV,” she enthuses. It has also made her consider news anchoring as a profession.
“Because of our bulletin, we learned more about our president Draupadi Murmu, and other current affairs,’ Kusuma adds.
Adopt a plant
Contrary to the notion that government schools are underperforming, this school is a hub of extracurricular activities. Conservation, green activism, recycling, kitchen gardening and adopting plants are key activities on the campus.
Saplings have been planted on the school premises, with each student adopting a plant. The best plant caretaker will be eligible for a scholarship at the end of the year.
Students here also grow tomatoes, ridge gourd and leafy greens used to cook their midday meal. The surplus is sold in the village market.
Drama and learning
Drama has been used to teach Pythagoras’ theorem and even the periodic table, through a play penned by Santhosh, who was inspired by science writer Nagesh Hegde.
In the play, a song is used to narrate a theorem and students play the characters of numbers, shapes and symbols of arithmetic.
Similarly, the role-play technique has been used for the periodic table. Videos of these sessions are available on YouTube, and other school teachers use them for their classes.
Theory also translates into practice, with students working to collect plastic covers generated by big brands and corporations, to send them back to the companies, with the slogan ‘nimma kasa nimage’ (take your waste back).
Together, these activities have raised awareness among the students and opened up discussions about sustainable development, global warming and climate change.
Mamatha, a Class 9 student, says, “My relatives and friends
say that I am lucky to have a
lot of opportunities in my school. They do not have such opportunities.”